Elaborate Security Arrangements in State Ahead of Ayodhya Verdict
From Our Special Correspondent
Daijiworld Media Network - Bangalore
Bangalore, Sep 29: For the second time in less than a week, the BJP-ruled state has made elaborate security arrangements and banned protests to maintain peace and communal harmony ahead of the Allahabad High Court's judgement on the 60-year-old Ram Janmabhoomi-Babri Masjid case on Thursday September 30.
Newly appointed home minister R Ashok reviewed the situation along with senior police officers in Vidhana Soudha on Wednesday September 29 with deputy commissioners and superintendents of police in districts through video conferencing and directed them to take all steps to maintain law and order in the state.
''Protests, demonstrations, processions and victory marches have been banned,” said Ashok.
The minister reviewed the security measures with home secretary K M Shivakumar, DGP Ajai Kumar Singh, ADGP (law and order) A R Infant, Bangalore city police commissioner Shankar Bidari and IGP in the Intelligence Department Gopal B Hosur.
The government has already declared holidays for all schools and colleges for two days, on September 30 and October 1, while liquor shops would be shut for 24 hours from 6 am from Thursday.
Leave requests from police officials would not be entertained, he said making it clear that all police personnel will have to report for duty at the places assigned to them without fail.
Thousands of personnel from police, home guards, Karnataka State Reserve Police, district armed reserve and city armed reserve to be deployed on duty throughout the state, the minister said.
But the Centre has turned down the state's request for sending Rapid Action Force (RAF) personnel to the state as their presence was required elsewhere in the country, particulaly in the northern parts, he indicated.
Ashok and the DGP have urged the media to carry out their duties with restraint and not to telecast any inflammatory speeches or provocative old clippings to prevent rousing passions or emotions.
The home minister said 100 to 150 video cameras would be pressed into service in each district for recording.
He said district authorities would hold peace meetings on Wednesday evening involving leaders of the majority and minority communities and other leaders.