Zee Media Bureau/Deepak Nagpal
Lucknow: Fearing a communal flare-up, the Akhilesh Yadav-led government in Uttar Pradesh on Monday decided to ban the `Sankalp Diwas` stir of Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) to be held in Ayodhya on October 18.
The VHP had planned to organise the `Sankalp Diwas` stir in Ayodhya stir to press for a parliamentary legislation on building Ram Temple.
At the event, the VHP was also expected to take a fresh pledge to construct the Ram temple in Ayodhya.
The decision was taken in view of security concerns, especially after the recent communal violence in Muzaffarnagar and surrounding areas, officials said.
The saffron outfit had earlier expressed apprehension that the UP government may try to foil its plan to hold the event in Ayodhya.
The VHP has accused the Samajwadi Party government of "Islamization" of UP politics.
Terming the decision as unfortunate, the VHP alleged that the Samajwadi Party-led government had taken the decision to appease a particular community, and vowed to continue with the programme as scheduled.
"It is most unfortunate that the government took such a decision in order to placate a particular section of society. It cannot put a ban on the feelings of people which are in favour of Ram temple," VHP spokesperson Sharad Sharma said.
Sharma claimed that the `Sankalp Diwas` is proposed to be observed all over the country.
Earlier, the UP government had scuttled VHP`s "84 kosi parikrama yatra".
