Togadia arrested, Singhal detained as VHP inaugurates ’84 kos Padyatra’

Shravan Krushnapaksha 5, Kaliyug Varsha 5115

Policemen try to stop the marching activists of the Vishwa Hindu Parishad in Ayodhya

Uttar Pradesh : Enforcing the Uttar Pradesh government’s ban on the Vishwa Hindu Parishad’s (VHP) Chaurasi (84) Kos Padyatra, the UP police on Sunday took VHP leader Praveen Togadia into preventive custody in Ayodhya for defying prohibitory orders.

He was taken into preventive custody after he tried to start prayers at the banks of River Saryu. VHP leader Ashok Singhal has also been detained at the Lucknow airport. He will be sent back to Delhi by 1.30 pm, the Lucknow police said.

Earlier, the police today arrested Ram Vilas Vedanti, a member of the party’s marg darshak mandal and a former BJP MP, and Rudauli MLA Ram Chandra Vidhayak.
 
Vedanti was arrested from the banks of river Saryu today.

Heavy security has been deployed at the airport and other entry points in the city. Lucknow SSP J Ravindra Goud said the VHP leaders would be detained at the airport and sent back by the next flight. Goud said 17 people who had come from Maharashatra have been arrested at Charbagh railway station.
 
Ramjanmabhoomi Nyas chief Nritya Gopal Das was also detained at Mani Ramdas Choani in Ayodhya. The ADM (City) AK Chaurasia termed the detention as “symbolic”. Refuting any rift with the VHP, Gopal Das said he would be going to Mathura now for Krishna Janmashtami pujan.
 
Despite the arrests of about 850 people by the UP government, a defiant VHP commenced its foot march today.

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The UP government, meanwhile, is not taking any chances. Several VHP and spiritual leaders, volunteers and the three legislators have been put in makeshift jails or placed under house arrest.

The security forces have fanned out in all 75 districts of the state.

Barriers have been put up on the proposed route of the foot march from Saryu till Makhoda in Basti, which is supposed to be the first halt of the parikrama. Ayodhya and Faizabad are out of bounds for the VHP workers with their boundaries have been sealed since Saturday evening.

Security men maintaining vigil on a locality in Ayodhya in view on the eve Chaurasi Kosi Parikrama

According to the police, 46 persons were arrested in Agra, 136 in Kanpur and Kanpur Dehat, 19 from Fatehpur, 43 from Allahabad, 15 from Varanasi, 17 from Jhansi and 21 from Orai. There were reports of arrests from other places also.

“A statewide alert has been sounded and district officials have been told to take VHP volunteers who defy the ban into custody,” a home department officer said.

In Lucknow, CM Akhilesh Yadav said, “UP doesn’t need such processions. For the last year-and-a-half, the Samajwadi Party has steered the state on the path of progress. But these parties are trying to take the state on some other (communal strife) path.”

A VHP spokesperson Prakash Sharma had strongly condemned the ban yesterday, “Intoxicated by power, the UP government is out to trample the Hindu society.”
 
Terming the ban as an infringement of religious rights, he said that an atmosphere tension and fear was being built up in the state by heavily building up security around Ayodhya in the name of banning the yatra.

He also reiterated the party’s commitment to go ahead with the proposed yatra.

Highlight of Sunday's developments

Dr. Pravin Togadia was arrested by UP police

* Lucknow police, instead being packing off Ashok Singhal to Delhi on an afternoon flight has sent him to the forest guest house in Nawabganj Bird Sanctury 20 km away from the Lucknow airport. He would stay under detention at the guest house till police decides next plan of action for him.

* Inspector General (law & order), UP RK Vishwakarma in Lucknow said that preventive arrests were going on across the state.

* 150 VHP volunters were arrested at Mugalsari railway station, nearly 80 at Agra station and nearly 80 at Jhansi railway station informed GRP officers. GRP arrested them from the stations and some from trains.

* VHP workers question arrest of Singhal, start demonstration at Lucknow airport, raise pro-Hindutva and anti-Mulayam slogans.

* Tension at Lucknow airport between VHP activists and police. Tiff and verbal exchanges on. Police pushing VHP workers back.

* Ashok Singhal detained at Lucknow airport. Would be sent back to Delhi by 1.30 pm flight.

* Praveen Togadia arrested in Ayodhya

* Ram Janmabhumi Nyas chief Nritya Gopal Das detained at Mani Ramdas Chaoni in Ayodhya just now.

* Barriers put up on the chaurasi kos foot march route leading from Saryu to Makhoda in basti where the saffron brigade had scheduled first halt of its parikrama.

* Ram Chandra Vidhayak, MLA from Rudauli arrested as well.

* Ram Vilas Vedanti former BJP MP and member of VHP's marg darshak mandal arrested from the banks of Saryu