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Ayodhya: Police on October 17 foiled the Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP)'s plans to hold a congregation as part of its Ram temple construction campaign after arresting the outfit's top leaders Ashok Singhal and Ram Vilas Vedanti and hundreds of activists thronging the temple town for the programme.

Ramsevakpuram, the venue for "sankalp sabha" (assembly for taking a pledge), was deserted past noon, well beyond the scheduled time for holding the congregation with police barricading the area and arresting the devotees at various locations in the town.

As thousands of Ram bhakts trooped in through various points including along the railway tracks, police prevented them from reaching the venue of the planned assembly.

While Singhal refused to leave the VHP central office at Karsevakpuram insisting on darshan of Lord Ram's idol at the disputed site, Vedanti was taken away in a police van outside Faizabad.

Inspector General of Police V N Rai said police did not want to use force and remove Singhal in view of his age and was persuading him to be taken to a government guest house.

Singhal wanted immediate withdrawal of security forces and release of all arrested cadres.

VHP office has been cordoned off and the workers prevented from approaching it.

While VHP leaders claimed arrest of thousands of cadres, police put the figure at around 4,000 who have been taken out of Faizabad for release.

PTI