Days ahead of Vishwa Hindu Vishwa Hindu Parishad and the Shiv Sena in Ayodhya proposed rallied in Ayodhya, three Muslim plaintiffs in the Ram Janmbhoomi-Babri MAsjid title suit claimed that their community members feel insecure and may consider to migrate from Ayodhya.
Expressing the Muslims' fears, one of the plaintiffs Iqbal Ansari said Wednesday, "As the VHP and Shiv Sena are gathering their activists in large numbers in Ayodhya, the Muslim community here is feeling very much insecure. We might migrate from Ayodhya."
Another litigant Haji Mahboob too echoed Ansari's fears.
While the VHP plans to hold a "sant sammelan" in Ayodhya on November 25, the Shiv Sena has slated the same day for holding a massive rally to be addressed by its supremo Raj Thackeray, who would reach here a day earlier to felicitate over 100 Hindu seers.
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The two right-wing Hindu outfits have claimed that lakhs of their activists and Ram Bhakts would reach Ayodhya to participate in the their respective functions.
Talking to PTI, three Muslim plaintiffs of the Ayodhya land dispute suit -- Iqbal Ansari, Haji Mahboob and Mohammad Umar -- claimed that their community members were fearing threat to their lives and demanded security for them.
Reacting to the Muslims' fears, Faizabad City Superintendent of Police Anil Kumar Singh sought to assure them of complete safety and security to their lives and property.
"No one need to be afraid of anything. We are arranging heavy security on the days for the proposed functions," he said.
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"We demand from the government to deploy special forces to protect the lives and properties of Muslims against the hooliganism of the VHP and Shiv Sena activists. They may attack us to serve their hidden agenda of making Ayodhya free of Muslims," he added.
"The Muslims of Ayodhya still remember December 6, when they were attacked. It is a fact that the Muslim population here is under the grip of fear against the possible attack by the activists of the two outfits. They are feeling quite insecure," he said.
Yet another plaintiff to the Ayodhya land title suit, Mohammad Umar too endorsed the duo's assessment.
"We do not want any disturbance here as we want to live in peace. Ayodhya is our birth place, we are here since generations. But we still remember how the VHP and Shiv Sena activists attacked Muslims after the demolition of Babri Masjid here on December 6, 1992" he said.
To this, Director General of Police (DGP) OP Singh said that not just Ayodhya but minorities are feeling safe in entire Uttar Pradesh as there has been no communal riot in the state in past one-and-a-half year.
Referring to Iqbal's claim, the state police chief said, "I am not aware of what he has said. I have not seen
the video. I am surprised if someone is saying so. He can come and talk to me. I will direct local officials to give security to him."
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(With inputs from PTI)
