VHP wants to light lamps at Ayodhya disputed site on Diwali

Divisional Commissioner Manoj Mishra rejects their demand.

Matter of faith: Devotees standing outside a Ram temple at the Ram Janmabhoomi Nyas workshop in Ayodhya, in this file photo.

Seers led by the Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) on Monday demanded that they be allowed to light “thousands of lamps” and do 'puja' at the disputed site in Ayodhya on October 27, Diwali. The Divisional Commissioner (DC), Manoj Mishra, has, however, reportedly denied them permission.

Divisional Commissioner (DC) Manoj Mishra said he made it clear to a VHP-led delegation that since the matter was in court, no new tradition would be allowed. If they wanted permission for any event apart from the facilities stipulated by the Supreme Court, they must approach it, Mr. Mishra said while rejecting their demand.

The delegation comprising seers from Ayodhya and VHP spokesperson Sharad Sharma met the DC and handed him a memorandum containing the demand. They argued that it “hurt the religious sentiments” of Hindus that they could not light lamps on the “janmabhoomi premises” even as Diwali, which Hindus believe marks the

return to Ayodhya of Lord Ram after defeating Ravan in Lanka, is celebrated across the country.

The delegation comprised Mahant Kanhaiyadas, president of Sant Samiti, Ayodhya; Mahant Kamalnayan Das of Maniramdas Chanvi; Mahant Avadhbihari Das of Sri Ramcharitramanas Bhavan; and local BJP leader Vaishya Vinod Jaiswal.

The restrictions

The demand came amid the imposition of restrictions under Section 144 in Ayodhya till December 10 in anticipation of the Babri Masjid–Ram Janmabhoomi case verdict in the Supreme Court as well as the upcoming religious festivals in the town.

The restrictions would come into force from October 12 , District Magistrate (DM) Anuj Kumar Jha had said.

As per the two-page official order, flying of drones and unmanned aerial vehicles in the Ayodhya parameter without the permission of the authority concerned is not allowed. There is also a ban on overloading of boats within the boundary of Ayodhya. The manufacture and sale of firecrackers on Diwali would be allowed only after obtaining permission from the magistrate concerned.

“The order has been issued considering safety and security of Ayodhya and those visiting here as Govt’s paramount concerns,” Mr. Jha said on Twitter late on Sunday.

The restrictions were imposed keeping in mind not just the possible Ayodhya verdict but also the number of upcoming religious events and festivals such as Diwali, Narak Chaturdarshi, Gowardhan Puja, Bhaiya Dooj, Chitragupt Jayanti, Chehelom, 14 Kosi and Panch Kosi parikramas, Karthik Purnima Mela, Guru Nanak Jayanti, Barawafat and Chhath Puja, he said.

December 6 is the anniversary of the Babri Masjid demolition . The Mughal-era mosque was razed by Hindutva activists on December 6, 1992.

Mr. Jha said an order had been issued on August 31 covering unlawful assemblies and undesirable activities.

“The order dated 12.10.2019 has been issued to cover a couple of points which were not there in the earlier order,” he said.