Arrest warrants galore against VHP cadres

Ayodhya/Faizabad (PTI): Ahead of VHP’s yatra from Ayodhya on Sunday, the Faizabad administration on Saturday cracked down on the saffron organisation arresting 50 of its activists and issuing arrest warrants against 300 members of the outfit. Meanwhile the Lucknow bench of Allahabad High Court on Saturday dismissed a petition against the Uttar Pradesh government’s ban on VHP’s proposed Yatra from Ayodhya. A division bench comprising Justice Laxmi Kant Mahapatra and Justice Devendra Kumar Upadhaya dismissed the Public Interest Litigation (PIL) filed by a local lawyer Mahesh Gupta.

Amid heavy deployment of police force in the twin towns, a team led by the Faizabad District Magistrate and Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) also carried out searches at VHP’s local headquarter Karsewak Puram, Mani Ram Chawni, the temple of VHP leader and president of Ram Janam Bhumi Trust, Mahant Nritya Gopal Das and about half a dozen suspected hideouts of VHP’s activists in and around Ayodhya. The yatra has been banned by the Uttar Pradesh government over possible communal flare up.

The district administration, which had earlier issued arrest orders against 70 prominent VHP leaders, has now issued warrants against 300 more leaders. “We are conducting preventive arrests of prominent VHP leaders who might create law and order problems in the name of banned 84-Kosi Parikrama yatra,” Faizabad District Magistrate Vipin Kumar Dwivedi said.