Search the Internet          Tips

Togadia barred from entering Godhra

Vishwa Hindu Parishad Secretary General Pravin Togadia was on Saturday barred from entering Godhra by the Panchmahal District Magistrate Manoj Agrawal.

The district magistrate also denied permission to the VHP to take out a yatra.

Heavy security arrangements have been put in place by the district administration, Agrawal said.

A defiant Togadia said, "We will continue with our yatra in a peaceful and democratic manner. We will go to Godhra as per plans to pay tributes to Rambhakts who died [in the train carnage]. It is our fundamental right to take out the yatra."

The VHP leader alleged the Election Commission was putting pressure on the Gujarat administration to stop the yatra. "Decisions on law and order are taken by the district magistrate. But these are being taken by the Election Commission," Togadia said, adding the Commission has no right to ban the yatra.

Agrawal said all entry points into Godhra had been sealed and the district administration was in constant touch with the Gujarat government in view of VHP's threat to continue with its yatra from the science college ground in the town. "We have instructed college authorities to see that the VHP workers abide by the instructions and discontinue their preparations for taking out the yatra," he said.

District authorities have taken all preventive measures, including deployment of Rapid Action Force, a top police official said.

Some preventive arrests have been made and preparations for the yatra at the Science College ground have been stopped, District Superintendent of Police Narsimha Komar said.

He did not also rule out the possibility of more preventive arrests. "We are taking all possible measures to maintain peace, law and order in sensitive Godhra town."

The police are keeping a strict vigil at the railway station, bus stands and security personnel have been deployed in sensitive areas of the town and at entry points to the state. "We will not allow anyone to move individually or in groups towards the site of the proposed rally," the DSP said, adding the permission earlier given to the Science College has also been withdrawn.

The police official said one company of RAF, eight companies of State Reserve Police, 700 local policemen and police reinforcement from adjoining district have been deployed at the Science College ground and other areas.

Meanwhile, posters, banners and other publicity material regarding the yatra [dharam sabha] displayed in the town have been withdrawn.

Full Coverage of the Gujarat Election

Mail Us Your Response

Back to top

Tell us what you think of this report