The security apparatus around Ram Mandir was put to the test on Tuesday as devotees gathered in large numbers to take a look at the idol of Ram Lalla a day after the consecration ceremony helmed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

Police and paramilitary forces had to use force to control the massive crowds that thronged the temple after over 8,000 VIPs left the town with memories of being the privileged first to offer prayer there and receive prasad.

Security personnel seen behaving politely with the visitors till Monday turned into baton-wielding troops on Tuesday, forcing many devotees to run away without paying obeisance at the temple. Some devotees were lifted by their arms and legs and removed from the spot.

Rahul Barman from East Burdwan in Bengal, who had to leave Ayodhya without offering prayers at the Ram temple, said: “On Monday, the policemen were extremely polite and smiled when advising us to avoid coming on Ram Path (in front of the temple), but on Tuesday their cordiality had vanished and their baton was speaking.”

“I am going to Varanasi today (Tuesday) to offer prayer at Kashi Vishwanath temple and will be back to Ayodhya in February to see the Ram temple,” said Barman, whose relative lives in Varanasi,
said.

“In Ayodhya, I slept on the floor of an under-construction shopping complex along Ram Path, waiting for the temple to open for us. The security personnel used to check the place but didn’t misbehave with me or any other devotee who had got shelter there,” Barman said.

Barman added: “Today (Tuesday) morning, they came and asked us not to sleep there in the night because we were security threats to the leftover VIPs who would visit Ayodhya.”

Shorty after resorting to lathi-charge to dispel the crowd, some policemen were seen standing on two elevated platforms at the main gate of the temple and announcing on hand-held loudspeakers that the devotees shouldn’t be desperate to enter the temple and stand in queues with patience.

“They were allowed to enter the temple from 6.30am to 11.30am, but we used mild force thereafter to control the crowd. The temple was also closed at that time and reopened at 2.30pm,” said a police officer who didn’t want to be named.

“We have no option because the VIPs are more desperate than the common pilgrims to visit the temple. Every time, we are forced to block the road on both sides of Ram Path along the temple and make arrangements for the entry of the VIPs. Many senior officers from Lucknow arrived here today with their families and offered prayers at the temple. How should we manage the crowd?” the officer said.

Piyush Mordia, the additional director-general of police who is in charge of security in Ayodhya, said: “There is no problem here. People are going to the temple smoothly. Those who were standing in lines since morning have already come out after offering prayers there. There is a big crowd here and we want them not to lose patience.”

Uttar Pradesh chief minister Yogi Adityanath visited Ayodhya and held a meeting with the officers on the temple premises. He later said: “We appeal to the devotees to visit Ayodhya after a week.”

Satyendra Das, the head priest of the temple, said: “About 50,000 devotees offered prayers at the temple by Tuesday afternoon. This number may go up to three lakh per day.”