Northeast accepts Ayodhya judgment, tight vigil in Assam and Tripura

GUWAHATI/ DIBRUGARH/ SILCHAR/ AGARTALA : The whole of northeast remained peaceful on Saturday, as there was a air of acceptance from almost all quarters regarding the Ayodhya verdict .


Chief minister Sarbananda Sonowal welcomed the Supreme Court's decision, saying the people of the state should keep the age-old tradition of unity intact.

Sonowal said people should not pay heed to rumours and misinformation. He exhorted that as responsible citizens of the country, they should keep their faith in the judiciary.

Across upper Assam districts of Dibrugarh , Tinsukia and Sivasagar, security was beefed up ahead of the verdict, fearing law and order problem. The local authorities had already imposed Section 144 of the CrPC, prohibiting processions and assembly of more than four persons. However, post-verdict the situation was normal with not a single incident being reported from anywhere.

"The situation is totally peaceful in Dibrugarh. However, security has been beefed up and we are keeping a close watch. We are closely monitoring social media posts. Section 144 is in force in the district, prohibiting processions and assembly of more than four people," Dibrugarh superintendent of police (SP) Gautam Borah said.

Despite the curiosity regarding the long-awaited Ayodhya judgement, there was little or no response and even less celebration in upper Assam after the verdict that brought down curtains on the politically sensitive Ram Janmabhoomi-Babri Masjid land dispute case, which has raged on for decades. There was, however, a sense of jubilation among the citizens of Dibrugarh, as the historic verdict was delivered by a five-judge Constitution Bench, headed by CJI Ranjan Gogoi.

No untoward incident was reported from the communally sensitive Barak Valley. A senior police officer said no political party or group came out in the open to express their reactions in public. However, security forces were on high alert across the three districts, including Cachar, Karimganj and Hailakandi of Barak Valley, in case of any eventuality.

Additional SP (Cachar) Jagadish Das said life was normal in Silchar and other parts of the district.

In Tripura also, there were no incidents of violence, amid apprehension that there could be tension in some pockets after the verdict was pronounced. With the advisory from the Centre, the state government alerted police to take all possible steps to maintain peace in the aftermath of the judgment.

There has been on untoward incident in the state after the verdict on Ayodhya, a police officer said. Additional forces have been deployed in sensitive areas, mostly in mixed populated locations, to avoid any untoward incident. Besides, security personnel in plain clothes were deployed across many parts of the state.

Political parties across the region showed restraint. There were no adverse comments from anyone on the Supreme Court verdict, though some sections remained upbeat about it.