The Centre indicated on Thursday that the security across the country will continue to remain on high alert. Following the Ayodhya verdict and with beginning of the Commonwealth Games, the Centre is not taking any chances. The control room in the home ministry is monitoring the situation round the clock.
Though the concerned political and religious outfits like the BJP and the Vishwa Hindu Parishad have asked their cadre to exercise retrain following the verdict, the security establishments have asked forces to continue the vigil.
“We cannot issue directions against celebrations but hope that peace committees and other groups do not indulge in any activities which may trigger unrest,” an official said.
Meanwhile, a government official on Thursday refuted charges levelled by the Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister, Ms Mayawati, that only 5,000 jawans were provided by the home ministry to maintain law and order. The UP Chief Minister had demanded 60,000 paramilitary personnel. The government officials felt that the demand was “absurd.” The official said that apart from 5,200 personnel deployed in the state ahead of the Ayodhya verdict, as many as 31 companies (3,100) of Central paramilitary forces are already stationed in Uttar Pradesh. 1,200 personnel of Rapid Action Force are stationed at the highly sensitive locations within the state. In Uttar Pradesh, nearly two lakh security personnel were deployed. It may be recalled that for Thursday — the home ministry had identified 32 sensitive locations across the country — four of them in UP — where there is a potential to “evoke sharp reactions” following the verdict. States like Gujarat, Karnataka, Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, Kerala had been asked to take all possible measures to maintain law and order.
Central forces were stationed at 16 strategic locations across the country to be airlifted in case of any emergency.
IAF aircraft like AN-32 and the IL-76 have also been kept on stand-by at eight locations like Delhi, Ahmedabad, Mumbai, Bagdogra and Coimbatore.