An alert was sounded on Friday in Uttar Pradesh and security beefed up across the country on the eve of the 11th anniversary of the demolition of the Babri Masjid.
Additional security forces, including Rapid Action Force and Central Reserve Police Force, have been deployed in the twin cities of Faizabad and Ayodhya.
Security reinforcements have been rushed to communally sensitive districts like Meerut, Aligarh, Moradabad and Varanasi.
In Gujarat, elaborate security arrangements were made in Vadodara with the deployment of RAF, State Reserve Police and other police personnel as a precautionary measure.
In Tamil Nadu's Coimbatore district, security was tightened to prevent any untoward incident and a strict vigil was being maintained at railway stations, bus stands and other public places. Adequate security has been provided at various shrines and searches intensified at railway tracks, lodges and at entry points to the city.
Police have been given orders to step up vigil at all places, especially pilgrim centers, including Sabarimala, official sources said.
Muslims organizations have decided to observe 'mourning' by keeping their shops and business establishments closed, according to Mohammed Yunus Siddiqui, chairman of the Ayodhya-Faizabad Babri Masjid Action Committee. The Peoples Democratic party has given a call for observing a 'black day'.
On the other hand, the Vishwa Hindu Parishad has called for celebrating the anniversary as 'shaurya diwas' (valour day) and would hold a sammelan (meeting) at Karsevakpuram in Ayodhya. In Lucknow it has planned a scooter rally.
In Gujarat, it plans to take out rallies and in Vadodara, it would distribute 20,000 trishuls (tridents), vice-president of the state unit Dhanjanjay Thakkar told PTI.
The outfit also plans to hold blood donation camps in various parts of south Gujarat that includes Panchmahals, Vadodara, Bharuch, Narmada, Surat, Navsari and Bulsad districts.
Meanwhile, one of the plaintiffs in the Ram Janambhoomi-Babri Masjid title suits Mohammad Hashim Ansari has moved the Lucknow bench of the Allahabad high court challenging the Rae Bareli court order discharging Deputy Prime Minister L K Advani in the demolition case. His petition filed on Thursday also prayed for inclusion of section 120-b (conspiracy) in the charge sheet filed by the CBI.
The petitioner has alleged that the investigating agency had diluted the charge sheet by dropping the conspiracy charge.
The Rae Bareli court had on September 19, 2003 discharged Advani in the case but had ordered framing of charges against six others, including Union Minister M M Joshi, BJP leader Uma Bharti and VHP leader Ashok Singhal.
Joshi and five others against whom charges were ordered to be framed later moved the Allahabad high court, which stayed the proceedings in the Rae Bareli court.
Ansari's petition is likely to come up for hearing on Monday.
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