The Uttar Pradesh police say they have banned large gatherings in Mathura ahead of Ayodhya's Babri Masjid demolition anniversary on December 6, with a right-wing group threatening to install an idol of Lord Krisha inside the Shahi Idgah, a prominent local mosque. The police said they will take strict action against anyone who attempts to disrupt communal harmony.
A fortnight ago, the Akhil Bharat Hindu Mahasabha claimed it would lead a march to Mathura on December 6, where the Lord Krishna idol will be installed at the mosque after elaborate rituals.
Reports say multiple social media messages are being circulated, asking people to gather in Mathura in big numbers on the day.
"Some persons and organisations have used social media to call people for a "padyatra". We have taken this into cognizance and will not permit any such yatra or programme now or in the future," Gaurav Grover, Mathura's police chief, said in a video statement.
"Section 144 is in place here and any person, whether he is from any religion or community -- if he used social media to spread rumours or incites religious passion, we will take very strict action against such people," Mr Grover said.
Last year, a civil court in Mathura dismissed a petition that sought to "reclaim" the Krishna Janmabhoomi, claiming that Mughal emperor Aurangzeb had destroyed part of a temple at the site believed to be the birthplace of Lord Krishna.
The petition also called for the mosque next to the temple to be removed.
The court refused to admit the suit, citing a law that bars litigation that alters status quo of 1947 at any religious place. The Places of Worship (Special Provisions) Act, 1991, had exempted the Ayodhya ownership dispute.
In February, another court in Mathura issued notices to the Shahi Idgah Masjid management committee and others, seeking their stands on a fresh plea for the removal of the 17th Century mosque from near the birthplace of Lord Krishna.
This plea also demanded cancellation of a 1967 ruling of Mathura court, which ratified a land deal between the Shri Krishna Janmasthan Seva Sansthan and the Shahi Idgah Management Committee, allowing the existence of the mosque near the temple.
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