Ayodha verdict: Police on toes across Tamil Nadu

CHENNAI: The Supreme Court announcement that the Ayodhya verdict will be delivered at 10.30 am on Saturday took Tamil Nadu police by surprise, forcing them to scramble to deploy forces at sensitive locations across the state.
Coimbatore and eight other districts — Trichy, Thanjavur, Tiruvarur, Nagappattinam, Ariyalur, Perambalur, Pudukottai and Karur — will see the maximum deployment of security personnel.
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There is no ban on free movement of people, but places of worship, airports, railway stations, bus stands and other sites people visit in numbers will see more security checks. A strict watch was also planned on social media posts.Fearing attempts to create trouble, the state police had already asked firecracker sellers and printing presses to alert them if they got bulk orders. Flex board banners and pamphlets criticising or praising the verdict will not be allowed. Printers have been warned not to publicise any inflammatory slogans or writings. The existing ban on selling petrol in bottles and cans would be strictly enforced.
All personnel of special police battalions and armed reserve units have been asked to return to their barracks immediately.
In Coimbatore city, police are planning to deploy more than 2,500 local personnel and another 1,500 cops from other districts. L Balaji Saravanan, Deputy Commissioner of Police (law&order), Coimbatore city, said meetings were held with Hindu and Muslim outfits and other organisations to ensure communal harmony. “Those trying to disturb the communal harmony in the city, will face stringent actions,” said Balaji Saravanan.
Security has been stepped up at vital installations such as Kudankulam Nuclear Power Plant and ISRO Propulsion Complex in Tirunelveli district, V O Chidambaranar Port Trust in Tuticorin district, and places of worship like Rameswaram temple and Ervadi Dharga.
The collectors and police superintendents of Trichy, Thanjavur, Tiruvarur, Nagappattinam, Ariyalur, Perambalur, Pudukottai and Karur will coordinate the heightened security deployment.
TASMAC officials said district collectors and superintendents of police across the state will take the call on closing wine shops based on the situation in their respective areas.
Earlier in the day, chief minister Edappadi K Palaniswami had held a review meeting with chief secretary K Shanmugam, DGP J K Tripathy, home secretary Niranjan Mardi, and Chennai police commissioner A K Viswanathan to discuss security measures as the verdict was expected in the next few days. After the SC announced the date and time, officials advanced briefings slated for Saturday to Friday evening.
An officer said that they have incorporated all the security measures they had taken in 2010, when Supreme Court declared its interim order in the Ayodhya issue. The state had only seen two stray cases of stone-throwing at that time.