Last day of VHP's yatra: Over 66 saints, top VHP leaders held

LUCKNOW: Acting tough, UP government has arrested at least 66 seers and some top VHP leaders besides putting senior BJP leader Vinay Katiyar under house arrest ahead of the concluding day of VHP's banned 84 Kosi yatra.

IG Ashish Gupta told reporters here that VHP leader Ram Vilas Vedanti was arrested in Basti, while senior BJP leader Vinay Katiyar was kept under house arrest in Faizabad.

Since yesterday, 66 seers from Odisha and Bihar have been arrested in Gonda.

Top VHP leaders Swami Chinmayanand and Mahanadleshwar Anubhootanand Maharaj were today stopped at Amausi airport here enroute Basti district to lead the controversial yatra.

"The two leaders were stopped from proceeding towards Makhauda area of Basti, where the controversial yatra will conclude tomorrow," Gupta said.

The controversial yatra is going to conclude tomorrow and the Centre has asked the UP government to tighten the security.

Later, Chinmayanand and Anubhootanand were sent to Shahjahanpur. The IG said that in addition to this some more persons, who were proceeding for the banned yatra, were also arrested.

The police officer said that security arrangements were in place as they were for the beginning of the yatra from August 25.

Saints and seers under the banner of VHP proposed to undertake 15 day yatra between August 25 to September 13, but it was not permitted by the state government.

Reacting on being stopped, former Union minister of State Chinmayanand alleged that the government was running on the dictates of Cabinet minister Mohd Azam Khan.

He alleged that ban on the parikrama was combined conspiracy of Congress and SP.

Chinmayanand said that in future seers from south India would undertake parikrama and if they were stopped then they would march towards Delhi.