Local Residents Fearful as Saffron Hordes Collect at Ayodhya

With thousands of activists of Shiv Sena and Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) arriving in Ayodhya for their respective programmes on 24th and 25th many residents from nearing villages of the district, especially Muslims, have started fleeing their homes to safer places. They fear that the situation could be a repeat of 'December 6 1992'. Women family members are being sent away on a priority basis. 

Around thousands of Shiv Sainik from Thane travelling to Ayodhya by a special train and party chief Uddhav Thackeray have already arrived. Thackeray flew in from Mumbai in a chartered plane. They claimed that they are going to fulfill the dream of Bal Thackeray.

Also Read: Ram Temple: Reviving a Ghost, Because Elections Are Here

VHP has announced a large congregation, named ‘Dharma Sabha’ in Ayodhya on Sunday to raise the pitch for construction of Ram Temple. This despite the case being sub judice in the Supreme Court.

Ayodhya Muslims Still Remember December 6, 1992 with Fear

Abdul Khalique, native of Katra, while speaking to an online website weuttarpradesh.org recalled the horror of Babri demolition and pleaded with the reporter: 'force lagwa dijiye sahab, log bahut dare hue hain' (Please arrange for deployment of force(police) as people are very afraid).

“I have seen 1992 and still remember how my brother had felt down on the road when people were chasing them during communal violence and they all are killed,” he said.

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A resident of Ayodhya, Imam Ali told Newsclick, "We want to appeal to the government to arrange heavy force in the villages which can assure us to protect our lives and properties, otherwise like many other people of the village, we will also be forced to flee from here”.  

Jameel Ahmad from Alamganj Katra said that in 1992 people had been cheated by the government in terms of security but this time we won't trust the govt as police administration will be acting at the behest of the BJP which is holding power both at the Centre and in the state.

“In 1992, four members of my family were killed including my father's elder brother. We did not receive any help from any government till now”, he said.

When asked why they were planning to flee the area and whether any person from administration had come to meet them, Jameel said, "Not a single person has come so far. People of Shiv Sena and VHP are coming in huge numbers, anything could happen, but unfortunately, no security personnel were seen in our area. In my mohalla, almost everybody has left”.

Former Samajwadi Party (SP) Member of Legislative Assembly (MLA) from Ayodhya  Pawan Pandey told Newsclick, "People of eastern Uttar Pradesh were beaten black and blue by Shiv Sena people in Mumbai and now they are coming to our land. Our people had lost their job in Maharashtra due to Shiv Sena hooliganism. Now they are coming to terrorise our district but we will not let them succeed. Shiv Sena has lost the ground in their state that's why they are coming here to do politics on the name of Ram”.

Also Read: Prayagraj and Ayodhya: BJP's 'Work in Progress' in UP

Pandey further added that since 2014 till now, the Sangh parivar or Shiv Sena did not remember lord Ram but when election fever is rising up, suddenly they remember Ram.

“Both VHP and Shiv Sena are competing with each other to show who is the greatest Hindu. It nothing but an attempt to hide their failure. I assure the people of Ayodhya that my party will stand by them and will provide every inch of security,” Pandey asserted.   

“The motive is political and there is no doubt about it. The ground is being prepared for the 2019 Lok Sabha polls,” All India Muslim Personal Law Board (AIMPLB) member Zafaryab Jilani was quoted as saying by PTI.

Jilani said that since the Ayodhya verdict will not be delivered before the Lok Sabha polls, there is an attempt to keep intact the vote of the people who participated in the last elections hoping for a Ram temple.

In Faizabad, a lady who chose to remain anonymous told Newsclick, "Faizabad Member of Parliament (MP) Lallu Singh is distributing 'Haldi' (turmeric powder) to people with the request to gather in Ayodhya on Sunday”.

When asked about the haldi distribution – which is an invitation for a religious ceremony - for Ayodhya, she said, "If it will come at our home, we will receive it but nobody will go from my place. I hope everything will be fine but I heard lakhs of people from different places are coming here”.

 “As of now, everything is under control. But if the police/administration cannot handle thousands of people then how will they control lakhs of people? There might be violence”, she added.

SC to Hear Ayodhya Title Suit in January 2019

The Supreme Court on November 12 had declined early hearing of petitions in the Ram Janmabhoomi-Babri Masjid title dispute case. During a brief hearing, a bench of Chief Justice Ranjan Gogoi, Justice Sanjay Kishan Kaul and Justice K.M. Joseph had postponed hearings on the petitions challenging the 2010 Allahabad High Court ruling by which the disputed site in Ayodhya was divided into three parts -- for Ram Lalla, Nirmohi Akhara and the original Muslim litigant. Next hearing is slated for some time early next year.

Meanwhile, heavy deployment of CRPF, PAC and police has taken across the twin cities of Faizabad and Ayodhya.