SECURITY UPPED IN AYODHYA

Security and intelligence has been beefed up in Ayodhya, a day after two trucks full of stones entered the temple town amid talks that a restless VHP was planning to launch phase II of the temple movement. The Ram Janmbhoomi Nyas chief Mahant Nritya Gopal Das described the arrival of stones as a routine activity and described the hullaballoo that has started since as ‘needless.’ “This (arrival of stones) has been happening since the 40s and the 50s. I don’t understand what the fuss is all about,” the Ayodhya priest said. However, a wary state government directed the police to keep track of the developments. IG (Law and Order) A Satish Ganesh said DGP Jagmohan Yadav had sought report from ADG (Intelligence) on the issue (arrival of stones). The Ayodhya superintendent of police had also sent a secret report over the issue and copy of the report had been sent to senior Home and Police department officers, he said. Sources said the government has also directed that a ‘watch’ be maintained on the activities of key ‘VHP leaders.’ VHP sources, meanwhile, told HT that they planned to hire additional work force for the carving of the temple stones. Though largely symbolic, the VHP move to hire fresh temple stone carvers appears to be an apparent bid by the VHP to breathe some life into the campaign that many feel has outlived its utility. Earlier this month, on December 6, the 23rd demolition anniversary, Nritya Gopal Das had announced from a VHP platform the need to launch part II of the temple movement. The arrival of two trucks full of stones barely 14 days later is being viewed as an indication that the VHP wants to assure its cadre that the temple rhetoric it has been making for the last two decades wasn’t just ‘idle talk.’