Ayodhya verdict: RPF cancels leaves of its staff

The railway police on Thursday issued a seven-page advisory to all its zones giving them a slew of directions on security preparedness ahead of the much-awaited Supreme Court verdict on the Ram Janmabhoomi-Babri Masjid dispute case, sources said.

The Railway Protection Force (RPF) advisory also said that leaves of all its personnel have been cancelled and they will be engaged in escorting trains, they said.

The advisory, which covers aspects like security at platforms, railway stations, yards, parking space, bridges and tunnels besides production units and workshops, has earmarked all potential hotspots which could either be a site for any violence or could be used to hide explosives, the sources said.

RPF personnel will escort all trains and they will be armed with modern gadgets and intensive checks will be done including with sniffer dogs, they said, adding all sensitive points on tracks, bridges and tunnels will be patrolled.

The verdict on the temple-mosque land dispute is expected to be pronounced before Chief Justice of India Ranjan Gogoi retires on November 17.

The RPF advisory also said that a close watch should be kept on all religious structures near railway stations or within its premises as they may become a "flash points" in case tempers run high. It has also instructed caretakers of such structures not to leave them unguarded.

In the advisory, the RPF has has identified around 80 major stations with high footfall including those in Mumbai, Delhi, Maharashtra and Uttar Pradesh and the presence of RPF personnel have been increased there, the sources said.

The advisory also rescinded an earlier order which allowed stations to keep their lighting to around 30 per cent to save electricity when there is no train at the station, instructing all zones to keep lighting at 100 per cent at all times.

The advisory has also issued strict operational guidelines to be followed in case a mob is sighted on railway premises -- presence of quick response teams, sealing of entry and exit points and use of CCTV cameras monitored by skilled personnel -- to maximise security for the premises and the passengers.

It has also asked zones to ensure that there is no leakage of information about VVIP or military movement during this time.

At other stations too, the visibility of RPF personnel have been increased. All zones have been asked to repair their baggage scanners, CCTV cameras and keep a constant watch on crowded portions like lobbies and waiting areas.

The railway zones have also been asked to conduct anti-sabotage drives of all empty rakes which should be locked and secured after the operations, the sources said, adding they can be used as hiding places for miscreants.

All taxi drivers operating at station premises have been asked to profile passengers and inform RPF staff of any anomalies.

The zones have also been asked to clear yards of all garbage and extra growth as they can be used as convenient cover to plant IEDs, the sources said.

Meanwhile, the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) has also dispatched around 4,000 paramilitary personnel for security deployment in Uttar Pradesh, particularly in Ayodhya.