The territorial police have scaled up security cover ahead of the visit by Union Home Minister Amit Shah to Puducherry on Sunday amid the Opposition calls for holding protests.
The police are not taking any chances on the security front with the Left parties along with like-minded organisations having given a call to organise black flag demonstrations against Mr. Shah for his recent remarks about making Hindi compulsory and to highlight the failure of the Union Government in fulfilling promises made to the voters of the Union Territory.
While the Congress party will join the protest, the principal Opposition party Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam has decided to give it a miss.
Around 800 personnel from various wings of the police force will be roped in to provide tight security to the Home Minister who is making his maiden visit to Puducherry after the National Democratic Alliance Government came to power in the Union Territory.
A senior police officer told The Hindu that no permission has been given to hold any sort of agitation during VIP movement on Sunday. “So, any sort of protest during the Home Minister’s visit will be treated as unlawful assembly and law will take its course. We will be deploying around 800 personnel for his safe movement,” he added.
An advance team from the Central Reserve Police Force has already reached Puducherry as part of the security arrangements for the Home Minister. A technical team, including anti-sabotage members from Karnataka police is also stationed in the capital, he said.
The Home Minister will reach Puducherry by a special aircraft around 9. 30 a.m. He will head to the Sri Aurobindo Ashram and then visit the nearby ancestral home of poet Bharathiar. Mr. Shah will then proceed to the Pondicherry University to attend the 150th birth anniversary celebrations of revolutionary poet Sri Aurobindo. He will also lay the foundation for three academic buildings at the university.
After winding up the programme at PU, the Home Minister would come to Raj Nivas where he would have his lunch before heading to Kamban Kalai Arangam for government functions, said official sources.
Post government functions, Mr Shah would be visiting the party office and will be holding closed door meetings with core committee members and legislators. Several ‘important personalities’ would be calling on the Home Minister at the party office, party sources said.
Meanwhile, the entire town has been decked with BJP flags and banners welcoming the Home Minister.
