Lucknow: The saffron cadre from VHP and saints had played the game of hide and seek with the police in Ayodhya on Sunday for 84 Kosi Parikrama. These saints had come in small groups from different places and start their movement after they reach to Saryu Ghat.
Saints have performs worship at Gola Ghat. SSP KB Singh said that heavy police force thwarted most other attempts at various other places resulting in arrest of scores of saints, VHP men, BJP workers and leaders. Around dozen saints and VHP leaders were put under house arrest.
Meanwhile high voltage drama unfolded at Gola Ghat, when Praveen Togadia suddenly appeared from an ashram with his supporters chanting “jai sri Ram”.
Heavy police force led by district magistrate Vipin Dwivedi and SSP KB Singh rushed to Gola Ghat in search of Togadia on information that he is hiding there and would soon appear to perform worship.
Police had arrested VHP working president Praveen Togadia, former MP of BJP Ram Vilas Vedanti, President of Ram Janm Bhumi Nyas Mahant Nrityagopal Das, Former BJP MLA Lallu Singh, another MLA Ram Chandra and others.
Togadia had blamed the state government for vitiating the atmosphere and announced that the VHP would stage a protest on Monday throughout the country to protest against the arrest of saints and seers and the state government’s “sinful” effort to stop saints from “performing parikrama, a religious ritual”.
After much persuasion, Togadia was pushed into a four-wheeler. From inside the vehicle, Togadia said, “Now a grand temple would be constructed at any cost in Ayodhya.”
Togadia was then taken to police lines, where he was still in detention till the filing of this report.
Heavy police force including RAF personnel were deployed turning the area into a virtual fortress at Naya Ghat, the spot where the VHP had claimed in its pamphlet that worship would be performed before parikrama begins.
However, with maximum concentration at the Naya Ghat, the first arrest that of Ram Vilas Vedanti and BJP MLA Ram Chandra was confirmed by the officials at around 7 in the morning.
Even as the suspense over prominent leaders continued, saints and disciples of Mahant Nrityagopal Das announced before the media that the Mahant would proceed for parikrama after 8.30 am.
Before proceeding for the parikrama, Mahant Nrityagopal Das told that the state government’s ban was nothing but an attempt to indulge in appeasement policy. Mahant also said that how can anyone stop saints and seers from performing parikrama.
He then made a bid to proceed for the puja at Saryu ghat. A few metres away from the ashram Swami Maniramdas ji Maharaj ki Chhavani, he was requested by a huge force led by SP City RS Gautam and ADM City Chaurasia, not to violate prohibitory orders. Conceding to the request, he returned back.
The struggle between the saints under VHP banner and the administration of Uttar Pradesh government was by and large peacefully barring burning of effigy of chief minister Akhilesh Yadav by a group of youths, who later were arrested by the police.
Bureau Report
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