Security personnel revolt in Ayodhya

The PAC constable, Raj Kumar Tiwari of the 35 Battalion of the PAC, who fell from a watch tower, was declared dead on arrival at the Faizabad government hospital. Soon his colleagues blocked the Lucknow-Gorakhpur Highway and brought the traffic to a standstill. The traffic was heavy because of Ram Navami.

‘‘There is trouble in Ayodhya but we have made enough arrangements,’’ said R. M. Srivastava, commissioner, Faizabad. All entry and exit points have been sealed and the injured — at least a dozen including a few journalists — have been admitted to the government hospital in Faizabad.

‘‘Nobody can enter Ayodhya as PAC personnel have gone mad. The CRPF personnel are manning entry points to the temple town and have disallowed movement of any vehicle. There is a condition of an undeclared emergency,’’ said Arshad, a local journalist.

Resentment among the PAC personnel had been brewing as they had been denied promotions for a long time.

This is the second instance of a PAC revolt, the first one was reported years ago in Meerut.