The security for Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s maiden address to the nation from the ramparts of the Red Fort on Independence Day would be unprecedented.
More than 200 closed-circuit-television cameras and 10,000 policemen will guard the area around Red Fort where Mr. Modi will unfurl the National Flag and deliver his first speech as the Prime Minister on August 15.
The Delhi Police brass on Monday had a meeting with the Ministry of Home Affairs during which it was decided that security arrangements will be water-tight on Independence Day. According to senior police officers, the threat perception for Mr. Modi is much more than that for any other Prime Minister in the last 20 years, which is why they have to be extra careful this time.
“The Delhi Police along with other security agencies is going to keep a hawk’s eye on the Capital on August 15. This time, the security arrangements have been extremely tight owing to the threat perception to the PM,” said a police officer.
The officer, however, denied getting any input of a terror attack around August 15 but maintained that security will be water-tight. “All the eleven districts of the Capital have been put on high alert,” the officer added.
Emphasising on the increased security arrangement this time, the officer said that earlier there used to be only 72 CCTV cameras in the areas which can possibly be used to target the stage but this time the number has been increased to 200. The number of security personnel from the Central Reserve Police Force, Border Security Force and Delhi Police has also been increased from 7,000 to 10,000 this year.
The police have also completed the work of verifying identities of people who live in the residential areas around Red Fort. Windows opening towards the venue will be barricaded a day before the function. Policemen will be deployed atop all the nearby high-rise buildings. The direction of antennae will also be turned away at the time of PM’s arrival and people will not be allowed to watch the proceedings from the rooftops.
