The temple town of Ayodhya has come under heavy security blanket as nearly 10,000 Shiv Sena workers descended ahead of their party supremo Uddhav Thackeray's arrival. The town is on the edge as a VHP programme is also scheduled for Sunday. Follow all the developments LIVE here.
Uddhav Thackeray arrives in Ayodhya
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2 lakh people may attend VHP event
2,00,000 people are expected to attend the Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) event tomorrow. The VHP says the agenda for tomorrow's "Dharma Sansad" is to discuss the way forward for the construction of a Ram temple in Ayodhya.
"When will you build Ram Temple? Give us a date"
Mayawati slams BJP, Shiv Sena
Bahujan Samaj Party chief Mayawati slammed the BJP and the Shiv Sena on Saturday for raking up the Ram temple issue ahead of the Lok Sabha polls, alleging it to be a "political tactic" to divert attention from their failures.
She said since the matter is before the Supreme Court, parties and outfits must await the outcome and not rake it up in such a way.
"To divert attention from their failures, they raised Ram Mandir issue. Had their intentions been good they needn't have waited for five years. It's their political tactic, nothing else. Whatever their associates like Shiv Sena and VHP are doing is part of their conspiracy," the BSP chief said in a statement read out before the media.
Stage is set
Aarti on banks of the Saryu
Uddhav will perform aarti at 5.15 pm on the banks of the Saryu river. All Sena shakhas and party unitshave been asked to perform aarti at the same time.
Yogi to review security arrangements
Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath would be holding a high-level meeting in state capital Lucknow with senior officials to review security arrangements in Ayodhya.
Timeline of Babri Masjid-Ram Janmabhoomi dispute
Deploy Army, says Akhilesh
Samajwadi Party (SP) supremo Akhilesh Yadav has demanded deployment of army in the temple town to ensure compliance of the Supreme Court's order for maintaining status quo at the disputed site.
Section 144 imposed
Section 144 imposed in Ayodhya, restricting the assembly of more than four people, as a precautionary measure.
Devotees to pay obeisance at makeshift temple
Officials said that no large groups would be allowed to enter the disputed Babri Masjid-Ram Janmabhoomi complex. ''Devotees will be allowed to pay obeisance at the makeshift Ram Temple in small batches of four-five,'' said a senior police officer
Workshop at Karsevakpuram
A wooden model of the 'proposed Ram Temple' in a glass encasement, at the Ram Janmabhomi Nyas-run workshop at Karsevakpuram in Ayodhya. (PTI File Pic)
Uddhav Thackeray arrives
Ayodhya residents stock essential commodities
People have stocked essential items apprehending trouble in the town. ''We have stocked essential items.....anything can happen here any time,'' Surendra Kumar Tripathi, a resident, told Sanjay Pandey of DH.
Sources also said that the prices of vegetables and fruits had increased substantially in the past few days as people started stocking the items. A vegetable vendor in the Chowk area of Faizabad (now Ayodhya) admitted that the prices had shot up in the last couple of days.
Soil from Shivneri Fort
Shiv Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray paid tribute at Shivneri Fort, the birthplace of Maratha warrior king Chhatrapati Shivaji, in Junnar tehsil of Pune district, Maharashtra, on November 22 and collected soil from there, which he will carry to Ayodhya. (PTI File Photo)
Massive security arrangements
A Uttar Pradesh Police spokesperson said one Additional Director General of Police (ADGP), one Deputy Inspector General of Police (DIG), three Senior Superintendents of Police (SSPs), 10 Additional Superintendents of Police (ASPs), 21 Deputy Superintendents of Police (DySPs), 160 inspectors, 700 constables, 42 companies of Provincial Armed Constabulary (PAC), five companies of Rapid Action Force (RAF), Anti-Terrorist Squad (ATS) commandos and drones have been deployed.
Shiv Sainiks descend on Ayodhya
.@ShivSena banners & posters are visible everywhere in #Ayodhya & groups of party workers are roaming in the narrow and cramped lanes of the temple town chanting slogans like 'Jai Shriram' and 'pahle mandi phir sarkar'. #UddhavThackeray #AyodhyaRamMandir https://t.co/o6bgVqINci
— Deccan Herald (@DeccanHerald) November 24, 2018