Lucknow, Oct 12: The state government and administration are taking no chances with the Vishwa Hindu Parishad’s proposed rally on October 17, for which over 5 lakh VHP workers from all over the country have been mobilised to reach Ayodhya. A comprehensive contingency plan has been prepared to ensure that large crowds are not allowed to assemble in Ayodhya to minimise the chances of any disturbances. The Allahabad High Court had earlier directed the state government and administration to ensure that law and order and communal harmony are maintained in the state.
Yesterday over a thousand VHP workers were arrested in Jhansi when they were on their way to Ayodhya on the Sabarmati Express. Earlier, Section 144 had also been imposed in the city.
While the Central government cannot directly intervene in a state’s law and order matters (which is a state subject), it has provided 100 companies of para-military troops for deployment in Ayodhya and Faizabad.
The present situation is reminiscent of the 1989 VHP rally in Ayodhya when the state administration under the Chief Ministership of Mulayam Singh Yadav had to resort to firing at the crowds to control the situation. Bureau Report