Ahmedabad police on toes for Ayodhya verdict

Like their counterparts in most other parts of India, the Gujarat police are also all set to face any possible communal outbursts in the city, in the wake of the Ayodhya judgment on Friday.

The city police will be on their toes from Thursday, and additional forces have also been arranged for.

Joint commissioner of police for sector 1, Satish Sharma, addressed a press conference in the city on Wednesday. He told reporters that all of the police will be at work, in trying to secure the city against communal tension. The police have started patrolling city streets as well as checking hotels to keep a tab on the people coming into the city, he informed.

The city police commissioner has also asked police stations to handle incidents of petty crimes and internal clashes, to ensure these do not go out of hand or cause communal trouble. A series of meetings of senior and junior police officials has been conducted in connection with security measures on the Ayodhya judgment day.

The local police have also conducted a series of meetings with members of peace committees. The members of these committees have been told by the police to remain extra vigilant, help maintain harmony in their respective areas, and not get carried away by religious sentiments or rumours.

Sharma appealed to people to not get taken in by rumours, and to confirm news with the police control room in case of doubt.
Not just the forces in Ahmedabad, the state police too have geared up to avoid untoward incidents in the aftermath of this much-dreaded verdict.

Director General of Police (DGP) for Gujarat State, SS Khandwawala, told DNA that meetings of people from the two communities have been conducted across the state, in an attempt to ensure communal peace on the day.