Uttar Pradesh: Cancelled Leaves, Temporary Jails Among The Preparations In The Run Up To Ayodhya Verdict

As the Supreme Court verdict on the Ayodhya land dispute case can be out any day before 17 November, the Uttar Pradesh (UP) and the Union governments have accelerated the preparations to keep the law and order intact, reports Hindustan Times.

A five-judge constitution bench, led by Chief Justice of India (CJI) Ranjan Gogoi has reserved its verdict in the Ramjanmabhoomi-Babri Masjid case on 16 October, after conducting daily hearings in the matter for 40 days.

The bench was hearing petitions against a 2010 Allahabad High Court judgement that ruled that the disputed land of 2.77 acre should be equally divided between the Nirmohi Akhada, a Hindu denomination, the Sunni Central Waqf Board and representatives of Ram Lalla.

Various measures, given the communally sensitive nature of the issue, that have been taken by the State and the Central government authorities are:

* Leaves of all administrative and police field officers in UP have been cancelled until 30 November by the State government.

* Eight temporary prisons have been set up in different college premises in UP’s Ambedkar Nagar district.

* To prevent any mishaps from happening, the officials from National Investigation Agency (NIA), Anti-Terrorist Squad (ATS), and Local Intelligence Unit (LIU) have been camping in Ayodhya ahead of the verdict.

* Measuring the threat that hate posts can pose, the security agencies have been closely monitoring all social media platforms. The UP Police has also said that the National Security Act (NSA) can be put on those causing disharmony through social media.

* Other than the UP government, the Maharashtra government has also constituted a special team to watch the social media platforms and prevent any potential inflammatory content from circulation.

* Prime Minister Narendra Modi and UP Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath have directed their ministers and party leaders to refrain from making unnecessary remarks on the issue that might harm the communal harmony.

* The Rashtriya Swayamsewak Sangh (RSS) and the Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) have also asked their cadre to avoid making controversial comments on the issue.

* In UP’s Meerut, Muslim clerics have reached out to mosque Imams in the district requesting them to advise people to maintain peace, no matter whose favour the verdict goes in.