Over 560 activists of the Hindu Munnani, Hanuman Sena and Shiv Sena were removed by the police here on Sunday when they tried to stage demonstrations without police permission on the anniversary of the demolition of the Babri Masjid at Ayodhya in Uttar Pradesh.
Of these, about 70 activists were removed by police when they tried to picket the Coimbatore Airport at Peelamedu. Another 70 members of the Indian Towheed Jama-ath were removed from the Goods Shed Road when they attempted to picket the Head Post Office in that area.
About 2,000 members of the Tamil Nadu Muslim Munnetra Kazhagam and 400 members of the Towheed Jama-ath staged demonstrations to demand efforts to re-construct the mosque at Ayodhya.
The Hindu organisations’ activists wanted a Ram Temple to be built at the disputed site. A tight security cover in the city and elsewhere in the district, especially at mosques and temples, was in place to prevent untoward incidents.
A bus was, however, attacked at Pappanaickenpalayam in the city. The bus was heading for Singanallur from the Gandhipuram Bus Stand when a stone was hurled at it. The windshield of the bus was broken. No one was injured. Race Course Police registered a case and efforts were on to find out whether any organisation was involved.
Staff reporter from Tirupur adds : Demonstrations by two Hindu organisations and as many Muslim outfits in various parts of the city marked the Babri Masjid demolition anniversary, which passed off peacefully on Sunday.
The Hindu Munnani and Hindu Makkal Katchi asked the Central Government to ensure that construction of Ram temple at Ayodhya was facilitated at the earliest. “It is the responsibility of the Union Government to bring together people of all religions and parties and create a consensus on the issue of building a Ram temple at the birthplace of Lord Rama in Ayodhya,” they said.
Meanwhile, the members of Tamil Nadu Muslim Munnetra Kazhagam (TMMK) and Tamil Nadu Thawheeedh Jamaath (TTJ) came down heavily on the Union Government for not finding a permanent solution to the 59-year-old Babri Masjid issue. They said that the four-century-old Babri Masjid, which was demolished in 1992, should be reconstructed to give justice to the cause of Muslims in the country.
Both the TMMK and TTJ men wanted the Central Government to punish the persons listed by Justice M. S. Liberhan in his report on the Ayodhya issue as “culpable for leading the country to the brink of communal discord,” without any delay.
About 1,200 police personnel were deployed across the district as a precautionary measure.
