NEW DELHI: As Ayodhya geared up for the “largest congregation of Ram bhakts” on Sunday, Muslim leaders expressed concern over the security of minorities in the holy town. Minority community leaders told this newspaper they had heard of some families shifting out of Ayodhya for fear of violence. Their claims, however, could not be independently verified.
Babri Masjid Action Committee convener Zafaryab Jilani said the proposed gathering of VHP and Shiv Sena activists had made the locals anxious. He, however, said the heavy security deployment and the “seemingly cautious approach of the state government” had ensured the situation was markedly different from what it was in 1992, when the Babri Masjid was demolished.
“Some Muslims must have shifted out, especially those living in secluded areas. But because of the government’s careful approach, the situation seems better than 1992,” he said. The disputed Ram Janambhoomi- Babri Masjid site was put under three-tier security, restricting the movement of people. For his part, Faizabad divisional Commissioner Manoj Mishra said, “We have met the Muslim community and assured it of fool-proof security. We have told them not to panic.” The bitterness Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray has been nurturing for quite some time vis a vis its age-old ally, came to the fore in his indirect jibe against Prime Minister Modi when he claimed, “I am here to wake the ‘Kumbhkaran’ of the present times from his four-year-long slumber.”