Centre denies Mayawati additional forces

Even as a jittery Mayawati sought reinforcement from the Centre, the home ministry identified 32 vulnerable spots in six states, including Uttar Pradesh (UP), Maharashtra, Gujarat and Karnataka, where extra vigil would be maintained to ensure peace after the Ayodhya title suits verdict on Thursday.

In a letter to Union home minister P Chidambaram, Mayawati reportedly demanded more central forces, but the ministry impressed upon her that the presence of 1.90 lakh security personnel in UP was more than sufficient to deal with any law-and-order situation.

Chidambaram said, “I spoke to BSP leader Satish Mishra and convinced him that the presence of such a huge force was enough to meet any challenge.”

Mumbai, Coimbatore, Bangalore, Ahmedabad, Lucknow, Ayodhya-Faizabad, Moradabad, Varanasi and Allahabad are among the places identified by central intelligence agencies that have the potential to witness disturbances, though the home ministry ruled out the possibility of any serious law-and-order problem.

“I think India has moved on from the 1990s. Especially, people born after 1992 have a different view of the situation. I do not foresee any problem in the face of the court judgment,” Chidambaram said.

He appealed to people to receive the verdict with “respect and equanimity” and maintain peace and harmony. “Avoid drawing hasty conclusions on who won or lost, he said, adding, “Given the complexity of the issue, it will be difficult for even a trained lawyer to drawn such conclusions from the judgment.”