Uttar Pradesh police rounds up VHP activists before yatra

LUCKNOW: Hours before Vishwa Hindu Parishad’s Sankalp Yatra in Ayodhya, UP police have arrested more than 60 VHP and BJP activists in the state and banned the entry of four wheelers into the town. At least 42 VHP leaders, including Ram Vilas Vedanti, were under house arrest in Ayodhya.

Ayodhya’s borders were sealed and District Magistrate’s of neighbouring areas were asked to keep a strict vigil on movement of large groups of people. Principal Secretary, Home, Anil Kumar Gupta and DGP Devraj Nagar are camping in the temple town.

VHP’s Friday yatra in Ayodhya was to give a call for building a Ram temple there. The state government banned the yatra citing saying the matter was sub judice.

Home Anil Kumar Gupta said that adequate security measures were in place to ensure that the yatra could not be carried out. There were reports that the government had received intelligence reports of large-scale gathering in Ayodhya.

Heavy police and paramilitary deployment was done to ensure the day passed off without any incident. Despite the ban, VHP has reiterated its resolve to take out the yatra with its chief Ashok Singhal saying that his cadre will march on come what may.