Ayodhya LIVE: Uddhav Thackeray performs 'maha aarti' on banks of river Sarayu
Shiv Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray arrived in Ayodhya on Saturday for a two-day visit amid a clamour among Hindu outfits for bringing an ordinance to build Ram temple. The Shiv Sena chief also performed 'maha aarti' on the banks of river Sarayu.
The Shiv Sena chief is reported to have brought a pot full of soil from the Shivneri fort in Pune, which will be handed over to the priest at the Ram janmabhoomi when he meets him later.
This is Thackeray's first visit to Ayodhya and party leaders, including MP, Sanjay Raut, and others had been camping here for the last few days to make preparations for the visit.
On Sunday morning, Thackeray will go for a darshan of Ram Lalla accompanied, interact with the media and later with the public, party sources said.
The temple town will also witness another major congregation of the Vishva Hindu Parishad (VHP) activists Sunday who will be taking part in a Dharam Sabha.
Security has been tightened at the disputed site with thousands of police and paramilitary personnel keeping a watch over the sensitive place.
On the security arrangements in Ayodhya, Additional Director General law and order, Anand Kumar said the Supreme Court guidelines will be maintained in and around the disputed site.
Ayodhya has been divided in 16 sectors and a security scheme is under force, Kumar said, adding that additional force has been deployed for maintaining law and order and efforts are on to ensure that the events pass off peacefully.
Barriers have been erected to regulate the surging crowd in the temple town and magistrates have been posted there. If some
people want to have darshans of the Ram Lalla they can do it as per the traditions and guidelines.
Everyone will have to adhere to the Supreme Court guidelines, he said adding, that necessary steps have been taken to deal with all circumstances.
Meanwhile, an uneasy calm prevailed in Ayodhya where thousands of Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) and Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) workers are expected to arrive for 'Dharam Sabha' being to push for the construction of a grand Ram Temple. The local administration has imposed Section 144 in the town to prevent a re-run of 1992 situation.
The VHP has said that the scheduled 'Dharam Sabha' in Ayodhya on Sunday was its 'last effort' to clear the hurdles for the construction of a Ram temple in the temple town.
HERE ARE TH HIGHLIGHTS
# Rashtriya Swayamsewak Sangh (RSS) chief Mohan Bhagwat on Saturday said that there was no dispute as to what should be built at Ayodhya, reiterating his demand that the Centre enact a law for a Ram temple in the Uttar Pradesh town. "This is not a question to be asked as to what should be built at Ayodhya...the Sangh is committed already for the construction of a grand Ram temple in Ayodhya," Bhagwat said in Haridwar, Uttarakhand, after inaugurating the Patanjali Gurukulum.
# Uddhav Thackeray reach for Saryu aarti
# In a veiled attack on the BJP over the Ram temple issue, the Shiv Sena Saturday said those talking about it had kept Lord Ram in "exile" in Ayodhya, despite being in power at the Centre and in Uttar Pradesh. The Sena reiterated its demand that an ordinance be brought before 2019 for constructing the temple. Without naming the BJP, the Shiv Sena likened it to 'Kumbhakarna', a character from the epic Ramayana mythicised for his long sleeping spells.
The Shiv Sena, in an editorial in its mouthpiece 'Saamana', claimed that the sentiment among Hindus, now, was "first temple and then government".
"The promise of constructing the temple was given in each election; the temple, however, has not yet been created despite those talking about it being in power at the Centre and in Uttar Pradesh. Lord Ram has gone into exile in Ayodhya itself," the editorial said.
"This is the biggest betrayal. Those who came to power being Ram devotees have turned in to Kumbhakarna," it said.
The Shiv Sena said the 'Mahabharat' involved five villages, but the 'Mahabharat' in Ayodhya was for constructing the temple.
"To realise the natural truth of (constructing) Ram temple on his birth land, we should fight to win," it said.
# Want to know the date when the temple will be built, says Thackeray. The Shiv Sena chief says, “How many years will we have to wait, generations have gone by... first tell us when the temple will be constructed. During Atal Bihari Vajpayee’s time, it might have been little difficult but today’s government is powerful.. if you want to bring in ordinance bring it or if you want to bring in a law, do it .”
# Uddhav Thackeray starts addressing the gathering at Lakshman Quila ground, says “visit is not political”.
# The Muslim litigant in the Ram Janmabhoomi-Babri Masjid title suit, Iqbal Ansari Saturday said he was satisfied with the security arrangements in Ayodhya ahead of the VHP 'Dharam Sabha', but questioned the intention of the leaders in bringing such large crowds to the town. "They can gherao the (Uttar Pradesh) Vidhan Sabha or Parliament if they want but leave the people of Ayodhya in peace," added Ansari as he cast aspersions on the intentions of those encouraging people to gather at the temple town and "posing problems" for the locals.
He, however, lauded the Uttar Pradesh government for the security arrangements. "The Yogi Adityanath government has done what is required with tight security arrangements in place in Ayodhya," Ansari said.
# All roads to Ayodhya have been sealed. Barricades have been put up at three places and no one is being allowed to enter Ayodhya from Faizabad.
# Uttar Pradesh Minister Om Prakash Rajbhar backed former Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav's statement that Army should be deployed in Ayodhya to control the situation in the temple town.
Expressing concern over the congregation of Shiv Sainiks, VHP cadres and RSS workers in the temple town for the 'Dharam Sabha' slated for Sunday and the arrival of Shiv Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray, the Minister said that he endorsed the views of the Samajwadi Party (SP) chief and former Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav who demanded that the Supreme Court should issue an order for Army deployment in Ayodhya.
# Bahujan Samaj Party chief Mayawati slammed the BJP and the Shiv Sena on Saturday for raking up the Ram temple issue ahead of the Lok Sabha polls, alleging it to be a "political tactic" to divert attention from their failures.
She said since the matter is before the Supreme Court, parties and outfits must await the outcome and not rake it up in such a way.
"To divert attention from their failures, they raised Ram Mandir issue. Had their intentions been good they needn't have waited for five years. It's their political tactic, nothing else. Whatever their associates like Shiv Sena and VHP are doing is part of their conspiracy," the BSP chief said in a statement read out before the media.
# Shiv Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray leaves for Lakshman Kila. He is on a two-day visit to Ayodhya. Shiv Sena will hold an event in the city tomorrow over the issue of Ram Temple.
# UP govt and District administration have done elaborate security arrangements. Our goal is that programmes are held peacefully and SC's guidelines to maintain status quo isn't violated. Heavy deployment made: ADG (law&order) Anand Kumar on VHP & Shiv Sena's separate events in Ayodhya over Ram Temple Dispute.
# People have lost patience. Bring a law for Ram Mandir or else people will start building it on their own. If people do that, communal harmony could be disturbed. I believe there is no opposition to Ram in country, all Hindus, Muslims and Christians are his descendants: Yoga Guru Ramdev
# Uddhav Thackeray arrives in Ayodhya for a two-day visit with family
# One additional DGP, one deputy inspector general (DIG), three senior superintendents of police (SSPs), 10 additional SPs, 21 deputy SPs, 160 inspectors, 700 constables, 42 companies of PAC, five companies of RAF, ATS commandos and drones have been deployed in Ayodhya.
# I welcome Akhilesh’s statement. Section 144 is imposed in Ayodhya, yet the administration is letting people gather there, it means they have failed. The army should be brought: UP Minister O P Rajbhar on Akhilesh Yadav's statement that Army should be brought in Ayodhya.
# Chief Minister (UP CM) is interested in election campaigning when section 144 is imposed in Faizabad (Ayodhya). The kind of crowd that has gathered there... its responsibility will lie with the Chief Minister, says UP Minister O P Rajbhar
# Shiv Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray leaves from his residence in Mumbai for two-day Ayodhya visit.
# The local administration has imposed Section 144 in Ayodhya restricting gathering of people ahead of VHP's Dharam Sabha.
Meanwhile, controversial BJP MLA Surendra Singh has warned that 1992 could be repeated in Ayodhya, if required, during a 'Dharam Sabha'.
Taking part in a rally to mobilise people for the event, the BJP lawmaker told reporters that 5,000 people from his constituency, Bariya, would travel to participate in the 'Dharam Sabha' where the issue of Ram temple's construction would be taken up by saffron outfits.
He said "law and order is not an issue as far as Lord Ram is concerned...he will take care of it".
Singh said if the need arose, they would take the law into their hands for the temple's construction, like it was done in 1992 for the demolition of Babri mosque.
WATCH VIDEO:
(With inputs from agencies)
