By all counts, the visit of Prime Minister Narendra Modi to Tirupati on Thursday will be a tight-rope walk for the police, security and the intelligence wings.
This is Mr. Modi’s maiden visit to Tirupati as the Prime Minister.
The city is virtually under the scanner, with top sleuths of the Intelligence Bureau, Special Protection Group and the State police descending on Tirupati for effective surveillance. A whopping 4,046 cops, right from the Additional Superintendent cadre to home guards, have been posted at various places, while the bandobust has been divided into 28 sectors.
In fact, what is set to cause tension to the security enforcing agencies is the VVIP’s exhaustive travel by road.
The Prime Minister’s convoy will be travelling a distance of around 80 km from the airport to Tirumala hills on the ghat road and then back to airpor. According to Superintendent of Police Gopinath Jatti, traffic will not be allowed on the up ghat road from 3.45 pm onwards. RTC buses from Bengaluru and Madanapalle routes will be diverted towards Thummalagunta and not towards Cherlopalle.
Traffic will not be allowed from airport towards Karakambadi Railway Bridge and further to Leela Mahal from 4 pm.
Traffic towards the airport will not be allowed from Ramakrishnapuram, Papanaidupet Y junction or Srikalahasti highway from 3 pm.
