Faizabad admin imposes prohibitory orders ahead of Togadia's march

Faizabad administration said Saturday it has imposed prohibitory orders in the district, ahead of former VHP leader Pravin Togadia's scheduled march from Lucknow to Ayodhya from Sunday.

On October 6 in Ahmedabad, Togadia had said he would lead a march of his supporters if the Centre failed to bring an ordinance to build a Ram temple in Ayodhya.

The Faizabad administration has deployed a large number of police personnel on the district's boundaries to stop Togadia and his supporters from entering the area.

Additional District Magistrate Vindhyavasini Rai told PTI, "Prohibitory orders (under Section 144 of CrPC) have been issued in the district, so no permission could be given for any public meeting or assembly of people on the controversial issue".

According to the march schedule released by Togadia's Antarrashtriya Hindu Parishad, its activists would start his march from Lucknow and then gather in Barabanki on Sunday.

On Tuesday, they would head to Ayodhya and organise a programme on the banks of river Saryu for the construction of a Ram temple.

Announcing that he would lead a march to Ayodhya, Togadia had accused the National Democratic Alliance government at the Centre of "betrayal". He said the BJP sought votes in the name of Ram temple, but forgot the issue after coming to power.

The surgeon-turned-Hindutva leader quit the VHP in April this year after his nominee lost an organisational poll.

Togadia, 61, had then floated the Parishad.