India remains calm, composed : Picutes

Nearly 20,000 security personnel from paramilitary forces, Provincial Armed Constabulary (PAC) and other security agencies are camping in the Faizabad district.

In other cities across India there was a lot of maturity.



Bollywood celebrities lauded Indians for maintaining peace after the Ayodhya verdict and also hoped that the "shrieking" media does not "overdo their melodramatic analysis" and inflame passions.



Bollywood celebrities lauded Indians for maintaining peace after the Ayodhya verdict and also hoped that the "shrieking" media does not "overdo their melodramatic analysis" and inflame passions.



Celebrities like Diya Mirza, Priyanka Chopra and Arshad Warsi took to micro-blogging site Twitter to share their views after the Allahabad High Court ruled that the spot in Ayodhya where a makeshift temple was built after razing the Babri mosque in 1992, was indeed where Hindu god Ram was born.

There was heavy security in the nation prior to the verdict, but celebrities were glad that people remained peaceful.



Acclaimed filmmaker Pritish Nandy posted: "No report of any trouble anywhere across India. Proud to be an Indian in moments like this."

"Now that the verdict has been announced, can we please leave Ayodhya behind and move on with our lives? We need to look ahead. If anything the verdict shows that we in India, despite our differences, our politics and our shrieking media, respect the rule of law," he added.

Music composer Vishal Dadlani has appealed to Indian to "be proud, be strong".



"Resist every impulse to divide us. If Ram and Allah made us human, we owe it to them to be humane. Truly proud of my country and my people today. Jai Hind!" he added.

Actor Uday Chopra said: "Some decisions are beyond law. I think the bench has opted for a settlement and gone pro peace...If it helps to maintain it then I'm for it."

Sophie Choudhry prayed that "this 'division' helps to 'unite' our nation more than ever!"



National award winning actress Priyanka Chopra, however, said: "It will take a little time to fully decipher the ruling". But she appealed "... keep the peace... it's our nation at stake!"




Meanwhile, other actors said the media must react responsibly and not infuriate people with over-the-top discussions.

"Verdict is out. Views (are) being expressed. No harm with that as long as the media does not meander and people remain peaceful," stated Diya Mirza.




While internationally-acclaimed filmmaker Shekhar Kapur said: "Now that the judgement is over, the media should not overdo their melodramatic analysis or else they will inflame people."

According to actor Arshad Warsi, the judgement should be accepted gracefully.

"Let us accept the judgement and ignore the lawyers and their opinion on news channels. Humanity should be our religion," he posted.



Security personnel stand guard at the Jama Masjid after the Ayodhya verdict, in New Delhi on Thursday.

PM issues extraordinary appeal on Babri verdict

The Prime Minister Manmohan Singh has issued an extraordinary appeal.



Splashed across the pages of most newspapers today was a half-page "Appeal" of the Prime Minister to refrain from violence in the aftermath of the impending Babri Masjid verdict by the Allahabad High Court on September 24.

Saying that the judgment needs to be treated with "utmost respect" Manmohan Singh noted that the judgment is only "one step in the judicial process".

"The determination of the issues need not necessarily end with this judgment, unless it is accepted by both the parties. In case any of the parties feels that further judicial consideration is required, there are legal remedies available", he said.




Keeping that in mind, the Prime Minister exhorted all sections "of the people of India to maintain equanimity and tranquillity in the aftermath of the judgement".

"There should be no attempt whatsoever made by any section of the people to provoke any other section or to indulge in any expression of emotion that would hurt the feelings of other people", he warned.



Pleading that any violence of discord would hurt India's quest for "inclusive growth...which is recognised all over the world", Dr Singh said, "Nothing must be said or done and nothing must happen that may cause us to deviate from our goals and our objectives".

Earlier late evening yesterday, the Union Cabinet discussed the issue and passed a resolution, appealing for peace after the judgment."It goes without saying that the judgment needs to be treated with the utmost respect," stated the resolution released to the media by I&B Minister Ambika Soni.



"At the same time, we must remember the fact that the judgment, at this state, is one step in the judicial process. The determination of the issues need not necessarily end with this judgment unless it is accepted by all parties," it said. The government said "in case any of the parties feels that further judicial consideration is required, there are legal remedies available which could be resorted to."

Leading Islamic seminary Darul Uloom Deoband too appealed to people to respect the verdict on the Ayodhya title suit, PTI reported. "We have full confidence in the judicial system of the country. We appeal to people to respect the verdict of the court and maintain peace and communal harmony in the country," Darul Uloom Deoband deputy vice-chancellor Maulana Abdul Khalique Madrasi said.

Source: India Syndicate/agencies