More than 1,000 persons, including women and children, staged a demonstration here on Sunday to mark the 23{+r}{+d}anniversary of the demolition of ‘Babri Masjid’. While Muslims sought construction of a mosque, some Hindu outfits staged a demonstration urging the government to build a temple there.
Around 1,180 persons took part in a demonstration organised by Tamilnadu Muslim Munnetra Kazhagam (TMMK), near the South Taluk office. The demonstrators sought action against the political leaders, who demolished the mosque, and also reconstruction of a mosque at Ayodhya. Boys carried construction materials such as cement and bricks and raised slogans demanding construction of mosque.
At Gandhipuram, more than 1,200 persons took part in the demonstration organised by Hindu Munnani, seeking construction of a temple at Ayodhya.
Police arrested 1,140 of them and removed them from the place as the demonstration was organised after the police denied permission for the same.
Four organisations that had earlier planned to organise protests in this connection withdrew a day before the event as they wanted to extend a helping hand to people affected by the floods in Chennai, Cuddalore and nearby areas.
On Saturday, the India Thowheeth Jamaath (INTJ) issued a press statement that their effort to picket Coimbatore International Airport had been called off.
Police personnel said that 14 Muslim and Hindu outfits and political parties had sought police permission to organise demonstrations. A police official said that despite denial of permission to seven of them, some had announced that they would be going ahead with their decision.
Organisations that cancelled demonstrations on Sunday were Vivekanandha Makkal Iyakkam and INTJ which planned to picket the airport and Tamil Nadu Ramar Sena and Bharat Sena Hindu Makkal Munnani that separately planned to resort to rail blockade at Coimbatore Junction.
The organisations had claimed that their members were busy helping the flood victims. Police personnel were, however, deployed in large numbers.
