Ahead of VHP’s ‘Sankalp Diwas’ rally,350 activists arrested

Those arrested included VHP spokesman and former BJP MLA Lalu Singh,he said,adding there was no information regarding the arrest or house arrest of senior VHP leader Ashok Singhal.

To prevent VHP activists from attending the rally,three-tier barriers have been put up on Saryu bridge,Faizabad district and Ayodhya,he said,adding as many as 2,000 jawans of RAF,police and PAC have been deployed in the area.

As a precautionary measure,the local administration has set up a temporary jail at the Police Line,the IG added.

VHP has given a call to observe ‘Sankalp Diwas’ in Ram Sewak Puram in Ayodhya to take a resolve for launching an agitation for rebuilding the Ram temple in Ayodhya.

In Allahabad,more than 50 VHP supporters were arrested while they were leaving for Ayodhya to take part in the “Sankalp Diwas” rally.

“A total of 52 people have been arrested from near the Allahabad railway station where they had assembled to board an Ayodhya-bound train,” a police spokesman said.

Meanwhile,in a statement issued from New Delhi,VHP international patron Ashok Singhal denounced the state’s decision to ban the rally and accused the Samajwadi Party government of “victimizing devotees of Lord Ram under pressure from a UP cabinet minister”.

Meanwhile,the Director General of Police and the Principal Secretary (Home) reviewed security arrangements in Ayodhya this evening.

They held meeting with senior police and administrative officials,including SSP and DM.

Faizabad SSP K B Singh said late in the evening that over 50 VHP leaders have been put under house arrest in Faizabad district on the eve of ‘Sankalp Diwas’ rally.

Prominent among those put under house arrest are Ram Vilas Vedanti,Mahant Nritya Gopal Das and Mahant Suresh Das.

Over 100 people have been arrested in the district and full-proof security has been put in place to stop VHP activists from entering the district for the rally,he said.

Talking said,Faizabad DM Vipin Dviwedi said,”We will not allow a single VHP activist to enter the Faizabad-Ayodhya to take part in the rally. The ban orders will be implemented strictly.”