The temple city turned into a cantonment on Thursday, a day before the Vishwa Hindu Parishad's banned 84-kosi yatra was to conclude.
The state Government had stopped the VHP from taking out the yatra August 25.All roads connecting this temple city to lucknow, Allahabad and Basti have been sealed and entry of 4-wheelers and other heavy vehicles has been banned. Faizabad district police chief KB Singh told 'The Pioneer' over 23 saints and VHP leaders had taken into preventive custody as a precautionary measure. He said anyone trying to disturb peace and harmony in the twin cities of Faizabad and Ayodhya would be arrested and stern action would be taken against such persons.
Meanwhile, sources in the VHP confirmed the arrest of prominent religious head Ram Vilas Vedanti in Basti and former MlA of BJP, lallu Singh, in Faizabad.According to reports, the district administration has placed BJP's Rajya Sabha member Vinay Katiyar under house arrest in his Ayodhya residence.
VHP media incharge Sharad Sharma claimed that the 84-kosi yatra had been successfully taken out despite the ban imposed on it by the state Government. He accused the Akhilesh Yadav Government of banning the yatra to appease the Muslim community.
On Thursday, top officials, including Divisional Commissioner Sanjay Prasad, DIG BD Palson, District Magistrate VK Dwivedi and SSP KB Singh visited the main areas of the city to review security arrangements. Prasad said peace and harmony would be maintained in the twin cities at all cost. As many as 15 companies of PAC and four of RAF, 4,000 home guards, 2,000 police personnel and one platoon of commandos are being deployed to maintain law and order on Friday.
Meanwhile, VHP spokesman Sharad Sharma claimed that the 84-kosi yatra had moved from Sikanderpur to Makhora in Basti on Thursday and the concluding function would be performed there.