Ayodhya (Uttar Pradesh): Ayodhya District Magistrate Anuj Kumar Jha on Thursday said Section 144, which prohibits an assembly of more than 4 people in an area, will remain in force in the district till February 25.

The decision came amid violent protests in Uttar Pradesh over the amended Citizenship Act, which grants citizenship to Hindus, Sikhs, Jains, Parsis, Buddhists and Christians from Pakistan, Afghanistan and Bangladesh who came to India on or before December 31, 2014. Under the prohibitory orders, people will have to take the permission of the administration for organising any programme in Ayodhya.