The district administration has requested the State government for Intelligence inputs and additional security forces in view of the sensitive nature of this VVIP parliamentary constituency.
“Since Varanasi is a sensitive area, we have requested the State government to share Intelligence inputs during the elections. It is not only a sacred religious centre for Hindus, but also for Buddhists. Sarnath also falls in Varansai and so do Jain shrines. We don’t want to take any kind of risk,” District Magistrate Pranjal Yadav, who is also the Electoral Officer in Varanasi, told PTI. The city also has a considerable Muslim population.
Currently, the district only has one Intelligence officer of a Deputy Superintendent rank in the State police. However, there is one IB office headed by a DIG rank officer in Varanasi. With high-profile leaders like Narendra Modi and Arvind Kejriwal in the fray, security has become a major concern for authorities here.
Incidentally, Uttar Pradesh police nabbed two suspected Indian Mujahideen members possibly planning to strike at Mr. Modi’s rallies. “We have would need extra personnel for the elections. According to norms, one Assembly segment gets five companies of Provincial Armed Constabulary or central forces. We have eight Assembly segments. However, we would require more personnel during the elections. We have also demanded for door frame metal detectors from the State government and other security apparatus,” Mr. Yadav said.
