Ayodhya: Educational institutions to remain shut in UP

Security was tightened across Uttar Pradesh as the state government ordered the closure of all educational institutions in view of the supreme court's verdict in the Ayodhya case on Saturday.

Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath appealed to the people of the state to maintain peace and communal harmony and said that the government was committed to ensuring that law and order were maintained at all costs.

UP police chief O.P.Singh also asked the people not to post or forward provocative messages on the social networking sites and inform the police if they came across such messages.

According to the official sources here, all schools and colleges, training centres and other educational institutions would remain closed for three days from Saturday to Monday.

Sources said that elaborate security arrangements have been made in Ayodhya, Varanasi, Mathura and other parts of the state in view of the SC verdict.

A strict vigil was being maintained at the Kashi Vishwanath Temple in Varanasi and the Srikrishna Janambhoomi in Mathura, sources said.

Security had been beefed up around all important religious and other government buildings, sources said. ''An integrated police control room has been set up here which will work round the clock....we will be monitoring the situation from there,'' said a senior police official here on Friday.

Sources said that Adityanath was chairing a high-level meeting here with senior officials to take stock of the situation and review preparations for tomorrow.

Sources said that directives had been issued to beef up security in the minority-dominated areas and sensitive districts, including Rampur, Moradabad, Sambhal, Azamgarh, Bijnore and Meerut.

''We will take stern action against anyone found to be involved in creating trouble....we will not allow any kind of celebratory processions after the verdict. NSA will be imposed the offenders,'' a senior police official here said.

The state government has roped in the services of senior Hindu seers and Muslim clerics and asked them to appeal to their community members to maintain harmony and peace.