Akhilesh's bid to foil VHP Yatra

With the Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) resolute on going ahead with its proposed “Yatra”, Uttar Pradesh chief minister Akhilesh Yadav has taken personal charge of the government's measures to foil it, even as the authorities sealed the Indo-Nepal borders and sent alerts to the various states to stop the VHP workers from entering UP.

The government has also started cracking down on the VHP leaders.

 Some of the lower rung leaders had either been taken into custody or held in house arrest, though many of the senior VHP leaders had reportedly gone underground to evade arrest.

VHP president Ashok Singhal was also kept under house arrest but was later allowed to leave.

Akhilesh has reportedly cancelled all his engagements to hold meetings with police and civil officials to discuss the plan to scuttle the “Yatra”.  He also met the legislators of the Samajwadi party (SP) from Faizabad and adjoining districts and discussed the issue, sources said.

Additional director general of police, law and order, Arun Kumar was camping in the town to monitor the situation; official sources here said adding that raids were being conducted at several places to arrest VHP leaders.

Flag march

Security forces also conducted flag march in the temple town on Friday to instil confidence among people.

Security has been further tightened in and around the temple town and extensive checking of vehicles was being conducted before they were allowed in.

Security personnel had been rushed to Faizabad from adjoining districts; sources said adding that 13 companies of PAC had been deployed there besides the police personnel.
VHP leaders however remained adamant on holding the “Yatra”. 

“The government can stop the saints coming here from different parts of the country...but what about the Ram Bhakts, who are local...they will undertake the Yatra'', Ashok Singhal said on Friday.

He said that the government would have to face the consequences of stopping the saints from taking out the Yatra.

 The VHP plans to undertake the “84 kosi parikrama” (300 kilometre yatra) around the temple town of Ayodhya from Sunday but the government has imposed a ban on it.
Section 144 has been imposed in Faizabad and its adjoining districts of Gonda, Ambedkar Nagar and Basti, officials said.