Ayodhya, October 17
Armed with court orders, the paramilitary forces today foiled the attempt of the Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) to organise its sankalp sammelan by preventing any sort of congregation at Karsevakpuram here after arresting VHP leaders Ashok Singhal and Ram Vilas Vedanti.

Dr Vedanti, claimed that the programme was a success and said through its campaign, the VHP was able to unite Hindus for the cause of the construction of a Ram temple at Ayodhya.

After initial skirmishes with the police at Karsevakpuram, Ram bhakts’ surrendered to the might of the state after news spread that Mr Singhal was arrested and detained at Karsevakpuram.

The police opened fire and burst tear gas shells to disperse the crowd which, despite a police clampdown, sneaked into the temple town.

As thousands of ‘Ram bhakts’, moving in small groups along fields and rail tracks, reached Ayodhya, they were arrested. They were taken in government buses outside the limits of Faizabad district.

Mr Singhal asked the Central Sunni Waqf Board to withdraw its application, claiming ownership of the disputed land. He said if it was not done, the Central should bring in a legislation in favour of the construction of a Ram temple at Ayodhya.

Later, Mr Singhal, along with Ram Janmabhoomi Nyas chief Mahant Nritya Gopal Das, held a ‘sankalp’ programme at Karsevakpuram at Ayodhya in the evening, VHP sources said.

Meanwhile, the VHP’s call for a chakka jam in the state failed to evoke any response. A few VHP activists damaged railway property at the Faizabad railway station while in Varanasi, BJP workers squatted on the rail track, disrupting rail service between Varanasi and Mughalsarai.

Thousands of VHP activists stormed the Ayodhya railway station this morning. Angry activists damaged a government bus at Dant Dhaman Kund after being rounded up.

Angry over the police action, the VHP gave a call for Bharat bandh on October 19 in protest against ‘police atrocities on the Ram bhakts’.