india

Updated: Oct 16, 2019 20:03 IST

Ahead of the Supreme Court verdict on the Ayodhya dispute, the Uttar Pradesh government on Wednesday ordered tightening security across the state and cancelled leave of all field officers, including police and administration in all the 75 districts till November 30.

“In view of the festivity and Supreme Court verdict on Ayodhya dispute the state government has cancelled leaves of all the field officers across the state till November 30. The officers have been also directed not to leave district headquarters till November 30”, Additional Chief Secretary Mukul Singhal said in his order to all the heads of the state government departments, divisional commissioners and district magistrates.

A senior state government officer said the step has been taken in view of the Supreme Court’s likely verdict on Ayodhya land dispute soon as well as the coming festivals. The hearings in the Supreme Court on the Ramjanmabhumi-Babri Masjid title dispute case ended Wednesday. The court which reserved its verdict, is expected to deliver its ruling by November 17

Superintendents of police of all the districts had been directed to take effective measures to maintain communal harmony and law and order. On Tuesday, the state government had appointed senior police officers as nodal officers in the 75 districts to assist the local officers in maintaining law and order, he said.

Chief Secretary RK Tiwari, Additional Chief Secretary Awanish Kumar Awasthi and Director General of Police O P Singh had reviewed the security arrangements in Ayodhya and neighbouring districts on Tuesday. The officers also reviewed the preparations for Deepotsav festival there.

Awasthi told Hindustan Times on Wednesday that security arrangements in and around the disputed area in Ayodhya as well as the entire temple town has been strengthened. The district magistrates and superintendents of police of Ayodhya as well as its neighbouring districts had been directed to remain alert and deploy extra police force in sensitive areas.

Prohibitory orders which will continue till December 10, are already in force in Ayodhya. District magistrate of Ayodhya Anuj Kumar had posted the order on his official Twitter account stating that the order had been issued in view of safety and security of Ayodhya and those visiting the place.

A police officer said extra police force would be deployed in Gorakhpur, Varanasi and Prayagraj zones. Whereas Provincial Armed Constabulary (PAC) would be stationed in all the districts located in east UP, Central Paramilitary Forces and the Provincial Armed Constabulary (PAC) will guard the temple town. The Anti-Terrorist Squad (ATS) and bomb disposal squads will be in place at the disputed site, he said.

A grand Deepotsav will be organized in Ayodhya on the eve of Diwali (October 26), to be presided by chief minister Yogi Adityanath. The state government has set up the target to light 5.5 lakh earthen lamps that will surpass last year record (three lakh) that earned it an entry into the Guinness Book of World Records.