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New Delhi: In the wake of rising tension in Ayodhya ahead of VHP's (Vishwa Hindu Parishad) October 17 programme, Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee and top BJP (Bharatiya Janata Party) leaders today (Oct 14) took stock of the situation to ensure how the entire programme should be held peacefully.

The meeting attended by Deputy Prime Minister L K Advani and BJP president M Venkaiah Naidu reviewed the situation arising out of VHP programme and the steps being taken by the state government, highly placed sources said.

The meeting decided that Minister of State for Home Swami Chinmayananda would coordinate with VHP to ensure that the programme passes off without any untoward incident.

Being the festival season, it was decided that no trains would be either stopped or diverted as this would only put people to hardship, the sources said.

"The government wants to ensure that the October 17 programme passes off peacefully and it is in view of this that Swami Chimayanand has been asked to coordinate with the VHP," the sources said adding that he had cordial relations with the saffron outfit.

"VHP is saying that they will do everything in a peaceful manner. Us par vishwas kiya jana chahiye (we should have faith in what they say)," Vajpayee told reporters on his return from an eight-day trip to Indonesia and Thailand.

PTI