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Heavy police deployments have been made in and around the Ambedkar maidan (ground), venue of the 'Dhikkar rally' that is to be addressed jointly by BSP supremo Kanshi Ram and Deputy Prime Minister Lal Kishenchand Advani on Saturday afternoon.
Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Mayawati is organising the rally.
Normal life was thrown out of gear as people from various parts began converging on the venue.
As many as 26 companies of the Provincial Armed Constabulary (PAC) have arrived from various parts of the state to assist the district machinery in maintaining law and order.
This is besides the police personnel requisitioned from the neigbouring districts. Cops have been stationed all around the loudly decked up venue and also along all the routes leading to it.
The security net has been thrown not only in the wake of the recent terrorist strike at Akshardham temple in Gandhinagar, but also because of the simmering tension between BSP and the opposition Samajwadi Party.
Mayawati had focussed attention on her sworn political foe Mulayam Singh Yadav in the run-up to the rally, and the latter called for observing the day as thu thu diwas (shameful day).
In view of these developments, security outside the SP president's residence has been enhanced.
"We have to guard against the possibility of a clash between supporters of the two parties," a senior district official said.
SP supporters plan to raise slogans of 'shame shame' against Mayawati and burn her effigies in each of the 70 district headquarters spread across the state.
Mayawati has organised the rally as a show of strength following Mulayam's alleged reference to her Rs 1.2 billion (Rs 120 crore) Ambedkar Park project as a vice den. She roped in Advani for the rally to enhance its prestige and increase the credibility of her claims about the project.
Advani would be the first national BJP leader to share the dais with Kanshi Ram and Mayawati. Before the rally, Advani will address a meeting of the party's state executive.
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