Published 14:02 IST, November 8th 2019
UP DGP & Chief Secretary brief CJI Gogoi ahead of the Ayodhya verdict
CJI Ranjan Gogoi today called upon top officials from Uttar Pradesh before the Supreme Court to review the preparedness of the State ahead of the verdict.
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With the much-awaited Ayodhya verdict set to be pronounced next week, in an important development, the Chief Justice of India Ranjan Gogoi today called upon the top officials from Uttar Pradesh before the Supreme Court to review the preparedness of the State ahead of the verdict.
In a meeting that started around noon and lasted a little over an hour, the Chief Secretary and the DGP of Uttar Pradesh briefed the Chief Justice on the steps taken by the UP government and the UP police to ensure law and order is maintained in the State before and after the Supreme Court decision comes.
Ahead of the judgment from the Apex Court, Ayodhya has been turned into a fortress with more than 4000 paramilitary forces deployed in the district to maintain law and order. Sources suggest that the forces have been directed by the UP government to ensure that nobody is allowed to spread any communal message including political and religious leaders within the State.
The Ayodhya land dispute, which is one of the longest standing legal battles the country has seen is expected to have large scale communal ramifications irrespective of which side the verdict favours. Steps have been taken in several parts of the country to maintain peace and harmony once the verdict is pronounced including Kanpur, Bhopal and Nagpur where Section 144 has already been put in place by the State.
Chief Justice of India Ranjan Gogoi who is set to demit office on November 17, 2019, is likely to pronounce the verdict between November 13-15 next week. A five-judge constitution bench had heard day-to-day arguments in the case in a marathon hearing that lasted 40 days. The verdict was reserved on October 16.
Updated 14:27 IST, November 8th 2019