TWO DAYS HOLIDAY FOR AYODHYA ISSUE

"Schools and colleges in Karnataka will have a holiday on Friday and Saturday in view of the Ayodhya judgment"

• To ensure there is no trouble, chief minister B S Yeddyurappa has announced a ban on sale of liquor, and holding of public programmes and peace committee meetings. City police chief Shankar Bidari on Wednesday said they are screening messages.

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Seat selection by the Karnataka Examination Authority and centralized admission to P-G courses scheduled for Friday and Saturday has been postponed. Schools that had slated their exams for September 24 and 25 have decided to reschedule them

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3-day ban clamped on bulk messaging

New Delhi: As a precaution ahead of the Ram Janmabhoomi-Babri Masjid title suit verdict, the government on Wednesday banned all bulk SMSs and MMSs across the country for three days with immediate effect.

• “The communication and IT ministry issued orders in consultations with the home ministry to all mobile telecom service providers in the country for banning all bulk SMSs and MMSs in all service areas with immediate effect for next 72 hours," said a government statement.

• The decision was taken in the wake of review meeting in the home ministry on law-and-order situation and security arrangement in view of the verdict, to be delivered on Friday. Security officials expressed apprehension that some elements may foment trouble by inciting communal passions, using bulk SMSs and MMSs after the judgment.

Deferring verdict: SC puts off plea

New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Wednesday deferred hearing
a plea to postpone the Allahabad HC verdict on the Ayodhya title suit dispute due to be pronounced on Friday after a bench said it did not have the “determination” to take up the matter.

• The Bench, while refusing to hear the petition filed by retired bureaucrat Ramesh Chand Tripathi earlier in the day, did not specify the date when the matter will be taken up again but directed the court registry to list it before another Bench in the routine course. All eyes were on the SC with just two days left for the keenly awaited verdict.