Maintain high state of alert: Home Ministry advisory to all states ahead of Ayodhya verdict

New Delhi, Nov 08: The Union Ministry for Home Affairs, has directed all states to tighten security ahead of the crucial Ayodhya verdict. The court is expected to deliver its verdict by next week.

Sources in the Home Ministry tell OneIndia that the advisory has been issued to all states to ensure that tight security is in place. Further the Home Ministry has also advised the Uttar Pradesh government to take all necessary steps to ensure that the situation is under control. It has said that the situation could be highly volatile ahead on the day of the judgment.

Over 4,000 paramilitary forces have been dispatched to Ayodhya. Security is high and Section 144 is in place as a precautionary measure.

Hectic preparations are on as the Supreme Court gets set to deliver the Ayodhya verdict. In the backdrop of the same over 10 lakh Hindus are expected to reach Ayodhya next Tuesday to attend a religious event.

This has raised security concerns and the officials are monitoring the situation closely. A close tab is being kept on the statements by leaders as well as posts on social media. The government is planning major curbs on the social media ahead of the verdict.

Both Hindu and Muslims leaders have appealed for calm. At a meeting chaired by union minister, Mukthar Abbas Naqvi, the leaders urged all sections to respect the verdict of the Supreme Court, which is likely to deliver its verdict on next Tuesday. Naqvi said that he hoped that the nation would accept the verdict with peace and harmony.

The holy event of Kartik Purnima falls on Tuesday. The devotees would take a holy dip in the Sarayu river that flows through Ayodhya. Last year, it may be recalled that 8 lakh people had attended the verdict. The number is expected to be close to 10 lakh this year.

Meanwhile, snipers from the NSG are being deployed at various points in Ayodhya. This development comes in the wake of intelligence inputs suggesting that some terrorists could have sneaked in from Nepal. We are fully prepared to deal with any challenge and the situation would be peaceful, a top home ministry official informed OneIndia.

It may be recalled that in 2005, five Lashkar-e-Tayiba terrorists had tried to storm into the make-shift Ram Temple. They were all shot dead and were unable to cause any damage.