Assam asked to be alert ahead of Ayodhya verdict

GUWAHATI - The central government has cautioned Assam to be on maximum alert and warned of possible communal backlash in the aftermath of the Babri Masjid-Ram Janmabhoomi title case by the Allahabad High Court scheduled for Friday.

An Assam government spokesperson said the central home ministry communiqué Tuesday called for extra vigil by security forces in the state in view of intelligence inputs about possibilities of communal clashes once the Ayodhya title verdict was pronounced.

The home ministry order has asked the Assam government to ensure that all police officials are on duty Friday - asking specifically to cancel leave of all senior civil and police officials and make sure they are asked to report for duty.

“The chief minister has specifically asked us to make sure that we are alert and coordinate with all officials and political parties to ensure peace and harmony in view of Friday’s court verdict on the Babri Masjid-Ram Janmabhoomi case,” state health minister Himanta Biswa Sarma told journalists.

Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi Tuesday told his cabinet colleagues to stay put in Assam for the next one week and monitor the situation.

“All the ministers have been advised by the chief minister to remain in their respective constituencies on Friday so that they could react in the event of any untoward incidents,” another senior minister said.

Assam witnessed a string of communal clashes soon after the Babri mosque was demolished in 1992.