Bengaluru, Aug 4: Police barricades, yellow banners, walls with a fresh coat of paint and the sounds of bhajan mark parts of Ayodhya as the city awaits its big day Wednesday, when the first brick will be laid for the Ram temple.
Ayodhya is decked up for the bhoomi pujan that will be attended at the Ram Janmabhoomi by 175 people, who figure in a select guest list of seers and politicians topped by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
Concerned over the spread of coronavirus, the authorities are encouraging others not to come to the temple town, asking them to mark the occasion by celebrating at their homes. The groundbreaking ceremony will be telecast live.
Roads leading to Ayodhya display hoardings with the picture of the proposed Ram temple and of Ram Lalla, the infant Ram, the deity now housed in a makeshift temple.
Around the town’s Hanumangarhi area – named after a well-known temple which Modi will visit on Wednesday – both police sirens and ‘bhajans’ in praise of Ram are heard.
Most of the shops in the locality wear a new look, with their fronts painted in bright yellow. A large number of policemen were deployed there on Tuesday. Some sat in the sweet shops, waiting for their next instructions.
Roads leading into the area are barricaded. Yards of yellow cloth and marigold garlands were being hung on poles.
Even on the day before the event, security checks on vehicles heading to Ayodhya begin from adjoining Barabanki district itself on the Lucknow-Ayodhya road. Policemen take down details, including mobile numbers of the travellers.
Senior Superintendent of Police Deepak Kumar said the focus of the force is on maintaining the Covid-19 protocol.
“So we are not going to allow any outsider to enter Ayodhya city,” he said. Prohibitory orders are also in force and not more than four people will be allowed to gather.
“The markets and shops will remain open but with strict adherence to the Covid protocol,” he said. Outsiders will be stopped from entering the city, but Ayodhya residents will be allowed in if they produce any identification document.
“We are also carrying out random checks on people living in Ayodhya to ensure that no outsiders are staying here,” he said.
The city’s temples and mosques will remain open, but no other religious event – except for the bhoomi pujan – will take place on Wednesday.
Pickets have been set up at sensitive points in the city.
Sub-inspector Ram Chandra Yadav and constables Avnish Kumar and Ankit Chaudhary man the Terhi Bazar Chauraha picket near the Ram Janmabhoomi site.
"We are here for the past some days, and were on duty on the Rakshabandhan day. Duty comes first and only after that come other things in life, like festivals," Yadav said.
Mayank Gupta, who runs a restaurant, was handing out food packets to policemen, his customers.
"For the last two months, I have been providing tiffin to them twice a day. There are around 100 policemen to whom I supply tiffin," Gupta said.
New Delhi, Feb 20: Syed Qasim Rasool Ilyas, father of Umar Khalid, a PhD scholar at Jawaharlal Nehru University, has claimed that he received a “death threat call from underworld don Ravi Poojary”.
Comments
Dear Rakesh.
We know how brain is working after cheddi media & teaching have affected U.. and 95% of the cases charged are still not proved and the cheddi authorities are playing with the dumb spectaters like U who support them without your own investigation on the cases which still did not give any proof..... anyway A day will come to judge such cases where innocents have been trapped and the one who gave us this life will judge and on that day no cheddis will come to your rescue for your blind support now. Which U will regret for not using your god given intellectual. Try to know the reality and study on cheddi deception.
Rakesh,
Jamate Islami Hind an institution have no connection with Simi. SIMI is a independent institution which banned now. Its a student movement like ABVP. Jamate Islami Hind have student wing is SIO. I don't know where you got the information that he was with SIMI. Can you furnish the details about the Syed Qasim was with SIMI, failing which you will have apologize in this forum for non authentic information.
SQR Ilyasi we are with you...A goonda coward who is sitting abroad is preaching Hindutva patriotism ..As a Muslim we are not scared of these death threats
this man was with SIMI ... what else we can expect from his son ? Mr Abdullah , clarification , not India , it is muslims only and some left mentally retards . May be he has support from pakistan .
No worry ... India With U. Jai Hind.
Dont worry guys.... for the threats
Allah gives life & death and we muslims believe that.. If you are firm in your belief.. Just pray to him and ask his protection ... Dont worry about the evil .. Unless ALLAH gives permission nothing on the earth will move... even the evil of ravi poojary..
TRUST ALLAH, U are on the safe hand unless ALLAH decreed on U. even if U are harmed. It is the matter is with ALLAH.
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