The Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu Edappadi K Palaniswami requested religious, political leaders and the people of Tamil Nadu to help maintain peace and calm in the state, ahead of Ayodhya verdict on Saturday.
In a statement released on Saturday morning, the Chief Minister stated that Tamil Nadu has a reputation of maintaining the highest degree of law and order. Adding that the state has been living in peace without religious conflicts, the Chief Minister’s statement pointed out that the verdict in the Ayodhya case which has crossed several stages of litigation is due on Saturday.
“Since the verdict is expected on Saturday, I request all the religious leaders, political leaders and all the people of Tamil Nadu to respect the order and not give place to any law and order situation in the state. I also request all of them to maintain peace in the state and set an example for the rest of the country by doing so,” the statement added.
The Chief Minister’s statement comes hours before the Supreme Court is set to deliver a judgment on the Ayodhya case. A five-judge Constitution Bench, consisting of the Chief Justice of India Ranjan Gogoi and Justices SA Bobde, DY Chandrachud, Ashok Bhushan and SA Nazeer, will deliver the verdict on the case involving the ownership of a 2.77-acre of land in Ayodhya.
Meanwhile, the security across state has been beefed up as thousands of police personnel have been deployed at the entry and exit points of the cities and at sensitive locations across the state. The Tamil Nadu police will also be monitoring social media posts related to the verdict and have stated that strict action will be taken against those who spread rumours about the verdict on social media. Several district police chiefs have also held talks with Hindu and Muslim outfits in their districts and appealed to maintain calm after the verdict.