New Delhi/Lucknow, September 29
Finally, after decades of waiting, the judgment in the 60-year-old Ram Janmabhoomi-Babri Masjid title suit would be delivered by the Allahabad High Court tomorrow — at about 3:30 pm.

All eyes would remain focused on Court No. 21 of the Lucknow Bench of the Allahabad High Court where the Ayodhya Special Bench would deliver the judgment amidst unprecedented security.

Across the road from the High Court complex, a makeshift media centre has come up in the compound of the Collectorate where within minutes of delivering the judgment a copy of the operative part would be made available to the media. It would also be immediately uploaded on a special website created for the occasion: www.allahabadhighcourt.in/ayodhyabench.html.

About 20 companies of Central forces were available for Lucknow alone. Besides, 800 constables and 30 officers from outside the district had arrived to help maintain law and order in the city.

Flag marches continued in the sensitive parts of the city, especially the old city, and around 1,400 potential trouble makers have been detained under CrPC Section 107/116.

Back in Delhi, Congress president Sonia Gandhi and Union Home Minister P Chidambaram today issued separate appeals for maintaining calm. While Sonia Gandhi cited India’s composite culture, the latter referred to a famous ‘bhajan’ (hymn) recited by Mahatma Gandhi: “Ishwar Allah Tero Naam… Sabko Sanmati De Bhagwan”. Their messages came after a similar appeal by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh yesterday.

Separately, sources said, the Centre has kept paramilitary forces in readiness at 16 places and IAF’s transport aircraft like the IL 76 and the AN 32 are on standby at 8 airbases across the country to move these troops at short notice to locations where any trouble is apprehended.

In its advisory, the Ministry has asked all states, especially UP, Maharashtra, Gujarat, Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh and Kerala, to give “top-most priority” to maintaining law and order.