Ayodhya verdict: 20,000 troops march into temple town

LUCKNOW: Hours before the Ayodhya verdict, 20,000 troops have been stationed at ground zero, while a high alert has been sounded across the state leading to closure of all schools, colleges, coaching institutes till November 11.


Talking exclusively to TOI, Director General of police OP Singh said, "We have directed all district SPs to immediately intensify patrolling.

We are enforcing micro vigil at the thana level from 8am on Saturday."

He also said enhanced surveillance on social media has begun and forces on standby have been alerted. Section 144 has been clamped across the state as a preventive measure.

On Friday, 12 companies of Central paramilitary forces, six Rapid Action Force units, 10 companies of Provincial Armed Constabulary, an Anti-Terror Squad and 5,000 policemen marched into Ayodhya turning the temple town into a virtual cantonment.

A digital war-room was set up at the UP police headquarters in Lucknow on Friday with a dedicated 15-member social media unit to be in sync with 3 lakh digital volunteers on the ground to maintain round-the-clock vigil on 25 sensitive districts.

Digital teams to keep tab on WhatsApp messages

A senior police officer said core digital teams have been asked to keep a tab on messages running on WhatsApp in these districts through a 24x7 hotline with volunteers. Police zone chiefs of these districts have been directed to take assistance of digital soldiers, who would swiftly report suspicious movements or inflammatory social media messages. Citizens too can report any communally sensitive or derogatory messages circulating in social media on a WhatsApp number (8874327341).

“SPs in all sensitive districts have also been asked to get in touch with radio headquarters and update any development to the social media cell. Police mock drills to control mobs are being held every day in sensitive districts and drones deployed for aerial surveillance in hyper-sensitive spots. IIT-Kanpur has been roped in to help in aerial surveillance. All district magistrates have been put on night duty, along with SPs,” said the Director-General of Police. “We are preparing a dossier of repeat digital offenders at each police station. At least 76 cases have been registered and 42 people arrested for uploading objectionable posts,” he added. While Ayodhya has been turned into a fortress, UP districts under the intelligence radar include Moradabad, Sambhal, Amroha, Rampur, Bareilly, Shahjahanpur, Pilibhit, Aligarh, Mathura, Kasganj, Etah, Muzaffarnagar, Shamli, Saharanpur, Bagpat, Ambedkarnagar, Azamgarh, Mau, Barabanki, Varanasi, Mirzapur, Meerut, Faizabad, Allahabad and Kanpur.

Additional security forces for Barawafat (Eid ul Milad) deployed in 25 districts have been kept on standby till the verdict. At least 1800 sensitive spots have been identified in Meerut zone, said additional director general of police Prashant Kumar. This zone comprises nine sensitive and volatile districts, including Muzaffarnagar, Shamli, Saharanpur and Baghpat.

In Mathura, SSP Shalabh Mathur said, 1,200 persons have been asked to deposit sureties. “We have identified 4 super-zones, eight zones, and 40 sectors, in which we identified 60 hypertensive points on which UP 112 cars, two-wheelers have increased movements. Quick Response teams (QRT) comprising central and district police have also been made to keep vigil around .