UP govt, VHP stick to positions on yatra
23 Aug 2013 11:35 PM GMT
The Uttar Pradesh government on Thursday stuck to its decision to ban VHP’s proposed yatra from Ayodhya from Sunday, while the saffron outfit warned of dire consequences if it was stopped, putting the two sides on a collision course.
As the war of words involving the SP, BSP and the Congress over the yatra from Sunday escalated, heavy police force is being deployed in Faizabad-Ayodhya district.
‘Besides PAC and RAF, two SPs, 16 Additional SPs, 32 Deputy SPs, 80 inspectors, 240 sub-inspectors have been deployed in the Faizabad district to maintain law and order in wake of the yatra’, IG (law and order) R K Vishwakarma told reporters in Lucknow.
Alleging that BJP, RSS and VHP were using saints as their tools to fulfill their political ambitions ahead of Lok Sabha polls, Samajwadi Party(SP) said that it would not allow them to communalise the atmosphere through their proposed yatra.
‘BJP, RSS and VHP are using saints as their tools to fulfill their political ambitions ahead of Lok Sabha polls as they have no public issues left. SP government will not allow them to communalise atmosphere of the state through their proposed 84-kosi yatra’, SP spokesman and cabinet minister Rajendra Chowdhury told reporters in Lucknow. The Akhilesh Yadav government would not allow any activity that could vitiate communal atmosphere by starting a new tradition, he said, adding that his party would not allow BJP to make a ‘Gujarat in UP’.
The VHP on its part said the 84th ‘kosi parikrama yatra’ from Ayodhya would take place as per schedule from 24 August to 13 Septmber and the UP government would have to face dire consequences if it tried to obstruct it.
‘If anybody tries to obstruct it, they will face dire consequences. If the UP government tries to stop the yatra, then it will have to suffer for it,’ VHP leader Venkatesh Abdeo said in Mumbai. The yatra will cover six districts-- Faizabad, Basti, Barabanki, Gonda, Bahraich and Ambedkar Nagar.
Meanwhile, divisional commissioner of Faizabad, Sanjay Prasad, and district magistrate Vipin on Thursday reviewed security measures and went around the yatra route. The entire district has been divided in 20 sectors and plain clothes policemen have been deployed at railway station and bus stands to keep a watch on VHP sympathizers.
‘There are 12 companies of PAC along with two companies of RAF in Ayodhya, which have come for the security during Sawan Jhula Mela. More security personnel would arrive here within a day or two,’ a senior police officer said.
According to VHP sources, on the opening day sadhus and saints from Kanpur, Jaipur and Ahmedabad would participate in the yatra. Officials expect that the first confrontation with VHP leaders could be witnessed at Makhaura on the Saryu bridge in Basti district, about 40 km from Faizabad, from where the yatra will start on 25 August. Later the yatra will move towards Ambedkar Nagar from Ayodhya
As the war of words involving the SP, BSP and the Congress over the yatra from Sunday escalated, heavy police force is being deployed in Faizabad-Ayodhya district.
‘Besides PAC and RAF, two SPs, 16 Additional SPs, 32 Deputy SPs, 80 inspectors, 240 sub-inspectors have been deployed in the Faizabad district to maintain law and order in wake of the yatra’, IG (law and order) R K Vishwakarma told reporters in Lucknow.
Alleging that BJP, RSS and VHP were using saints as their tools to fulfill their political ambitions ahead of Lok Sabha polls, Samajwadi Party(SP) said that it would not allow them to communalise the atmosphere through their proposed yatra.
‘BJP, RSS and VHP are using saints as their tools to fulfill their political ambitions ahead of Lok Sabha polls as they have no public issues left. SP government will not allow them to communalise atmosphere of the state through their proposed 84-kosi yatra’, SP spokesman and cabinet minister Rajendra Chowdhury told reporters in Lucknow. The Akhilesh Yadav government would not allow any activity that could vitiate communal atmosphere by starting a new tradition, he said, adding that his party would not allow BJP to make a ‘Gujarat in UP’.
The VHP on its part said the 84th ‘kosi parikrama yatra’ from Ayodhya would take place as per schedule from 24 August to 13 Septmber and the UP government would have to face dire consequences if it tried to obstruct it.
‘If anybody tries to obstruct it, they will face dire consequences. If the UP government tries to stop the yatra, then it will have to suffer for it,’ VHP leader Venkatesh Abdeo said in Mumbai. The yatra will cover six districts-- Faizabad, Basti, Barabanki, Gonda, Bahraich and Ambedkar Nagar.
Meanwhile, divisional commissioner of Faizabad, Sanjay Prasad, and district magistrate Vipin on Thursday reviewed security measures and went around the yatra route. The entire district has been divided in 20 sectors and plain clothes policemen have been deployed at railway station and bus stands to keep a watch on VHP sympathizers.
‘There are 12 companies of PAC along with two companies of RAF in Ayodhya, which have come for the security during Sawan Jhula Mela. More security personnel would arrive here within a day or two,’ a senior police officer said.
According to VHP sources, on the opening day sadhus and saints from Kanpur, Jaipur and Ahmedabad would participate in the yatra. Officials expect that the first confrontation with VHP leaders could be witnessed at Makhaura on the Saryu bridge in Basti district, about 40 km from Faizabad, from where the yatra will start on 25 August. Later the yatra will move towards Ambedkar Nagar from Ayodhya
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