A 7-page advisory has been issued by the Railway Police on Thursday to all its zones, asking them to strengthen security measures ahead of the Supreme Court verdict on the Ram Janmabhoomi-Babri Masjid dispute case. The Railways have reportedly cancelled the leaves of the RPF personnel and directed them to escort the trains.
The advisory encompasses important facets such as security at railway stations, platforms, yards, parking spaces, bridges, tunnels, production units and workshops and listed down all the places where violence is likely to break out or could be used as a refuge for hiding arms and explosives.
The Railway Protection Force advisory has asked officials to keep tabs on all religious structures in proximity to railway stations or within its premises, as they have a potential to become “flash points” in case communal conflagration breaks out. The guardians of such structures have been strictly ordered to not leave the places unguarded.
About 78 major stations have been identified where the footfall is high and the security cover at those installations have been scaled up. These include Mumbai, Delhi, and other big stations.
Revoking their previous order which asked the railway stations to keep their lighting at 30 per cent and save electricity when there are no trains at the station, the advisory asked the railway stations to keep the lighting at 100 per cent at all times instead.
Earlier, the Ministry of Home Affairs sent additional 4000 paramilitary personnel for security arrangements in Uttar Pradesh, particularly Ayodhya.
A five-judge Supreme Court bench headed by CJI Ranjan Gogoi had heard the Ayodhya case on a day-to-day basis for 40 days and reserved its verdict on October 16. The court is expected to deliver its verdict on a dispute over the possession of 2.77 acres of land in Ayodhya district in Uttar Pradesh before November 17, when CJI Gogoi retires.
Police forces in Uttar Pradesh and other states too have been put on alert ahead of the verdict. Section 144 has already been imposed in the areas surrounding the Ram Janmabhoomi in Ayodhya.
