Be alert ahead of SC verdict: Centre asks States
| Date :08-Nov-2019 |
NEW DELHI :
THE Centre has asked all States to remain alert ahead of the Supreme Court verdict on Ram Janmabhoomi-Babri Masjid title dispute and ensure security in sensitive areas, officials said on Thursday. The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) has also dispatched around 4,000 paramilitary personnel for security deployment in Uttar Pradesh, particularly in Ayodhya. A general advisory has been sent to all States and Union Territories asking them to deploy adequate security personnel in all sensitive places and ensure that no untoward incident takes place anywhere in the country, a Home Ministry official said.
The Ministry has rushed 40 companies of paramilitary forces to UP to assist State Government in maintaining law and order. A company of paramilitary forces comprises about 100 personnel.
RPF issues advisory, cancels leaves of its staff
NEW DELHI :
THE Railway police on Thursday issued a seven-page advisory to all its zones giving them a slew of directions on security preparedness ahead of the much-awaited Supreme Court verdict on the Ram Janmabhoomi-Babri Masjid dispute case, sources said. The Railway Protection Force (RPF) advisory also said that leaves of all its personnel have been cancelled and they will be engaged in escorting trains, they said.
The advisory, which covers aspects like security at platforms, railway stations, yards, parking space, bridges and tunnels besides production units and workshops, has earmarked all potential hotspots which could either be a site for any violence or could be used to hide explosives, the sources said. RPF personnel will escort all trains and they will be armed with modern gadgets and intensive checks will be done including with sniffer dogs, they said, adding all sensitive points on tracks, bridges and tunnels will be patrolled. The verdict on the temple-mosque land dispute is expected to be pronounced before Chief Justice of India Ranjan Gogoi retires on November 17.
The RPF advisory also said that a close watch should be kept on all religious structures near railway stations or within its premises as they may become a “flash points” in case tempers run high. It has also instructed caretakers of such structures not to leave them unguarded. In the advisory, the RPF has has identified around 80 major stations with high footfall including those in Mumbai, Delhi, Maharashtra and Uttar Pradesh and the presence of RPF personnel have been increased there, the sources said. The advisory has also issued strict operational guidelines to be followed in case a mob is sighted on railway premises -- presence of quick response teams, sealing of entry and exit points and use of CCTV cameras monitored by skilled personnel -- to maximise security for the premises and the passengers.
It has also asked zones to ensure that there is no leakage of information about VVIP or military movement during this time. At other stations too, the visibility of RPF personnel have been increased. All zones have been asked to repair their baggage scanners, CCTV cameras and keep a constant watch on crowded portions like lobbies and waiting areas. CONG to Firm up stand on Ayodhya verdict: Not wanting a repeat of the political embarrassment it faced when party leaders spoke in different voices after abrogation of Article 370, the Congress is planning to formalise its strategy on the Ayodhya verdict to speak in one voice. The Congress Working Committee is likely to come up with a resolution on the Ayodhya issue, with the Supreme Court verdict on the matter expected anytime soon.