New Delhi, In a strategic move, a specialized task force of the Uttar Pradesh Police is set to assume complete control over the security of the upcoming Ram Temple complex in Ayodhya. This development marks a transition from the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF), which had been safeguarding the site as per Supreme Court directives.
A senior government official revealed that the UP Special Security Force (SSF) would be responsible for providing comprehensive security cover at the temple, especially with the ‘pran pratishtha’ (consecration ceremony) of the Ram Lalla idol scheduled for January 22.
Since 1992, following the demolition of the Babri structure, the CRPF had been deployed at the Ram Janambhoomi site based on Supreme Court orders. The CRPF, along with Provincial Armed Constabulary (PAC) and SSF, is expected to continue guarding the temple complex until the pran-pratishtha.
Notably, the UP forces are now well-equipped and trained to handle various security duties, including access control, frisking, and perimeter security at the newly-constructed temple complex.
The CRPF’s role in ensuring security gained significance when, in July 2005, it thwarted a terrorist strike at the Ramjanamabhoomi site by neutralizing five terrorists.
In a historic verdict in 2019, the Supreme Court resolved a century-old temple-mosque dispute by endorsing the construction of the Ram Temple at the disputed site. Simultaneously, the court mandated finding an alternative five-acre plot for building a mosque.
