Massive security foils 'yatra', hundreds arrested

The Uttar Pradesh government put in place a massive security build-up across the state and foiled a Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) bid to stage a religious event in Ayodhya Sunday.

While hundreds of VHP activists and seers were arrested from different parts of the state for trying to carry out the "84 kosi parikrama yatra", VHP's top leaders were detained in Lucknow and Ayodhya.

Home department officials told IANS the situation was peaceful across the state.

Over 700 persons were detained for breaching prohibitory orders.

The police took VHP leader Ashok Singhal to an undisclosed location when he refused to return to New Delhi after being detained at Lucknow's Amausi airport.

Meanwhile, Pravin Togadia of the VHP, seer Mahant Nritya Gopal Das and politician Ram Vilas Vedanti were arrested in Ayodhya when they tried to go ahead with the "yatra".

Togadia, after his arrest, told reporters that the Akhilesh Yadav government had unfairly clamped down on saints and added that as a mark of protest, VHP would stage sit-ins across the country Monday.

Das accused the state government of 'daman' (oppression).

The Aug 25-Sep 13 "yatra" seeks to construct a Ram temple at the site of the razed Babri mosque in Ayodhya.