Security to be beefed up at Ayodhya, Varanasi and Mathura

NEW DELHI: Security at religious places in Ayodhya, Varanasi and Mathura will be enhanced following intelligence inputs which suggested that terror outfits may try to attack them.

This decision was taken at a meeting held here today and chaired by Union Home Secretary Anil Goswami. It was attended by DGP of CRPF Dilip Trivedi, Uttar Pradesh DGP A L Banerjee, Principal Secretary (Home) Deepak Singh Singhal among others.

More CCTV cameras and other electronic devices will be put in place as per the new security drill which will be carried out at the religious sites.

CRPF, which is guarding the sites, has been asked to deploy more forces and remain alert round-the-clock to foil any possible attempt by terrorists to attack these sites.

Ayodhya and Varanasi had witnessed terror attacks in the past.

On July 5, 2005, five terrorists attacked the makeshift Ram temple at the Ram Janambhoomi-Babri Masjid complex in Ayodhya.

All five terrorists were shot dead in the gunfight with CRPF personnel, while one civilian died in a grenade attack. The CRPF suffered three casualties.

Terrorists carried out blasts in Varanasi twice. In July 2006, three explosions hit the temple town while the Aarti was in progress.

In December 2010, an explosion occurred at Sheetla Ghat, adjacent to the main Dashashwamedh Ghat, where the evening prayer ritual had commenced. A two-year-old girl was killed and her mother was critically injured along with 38 others.