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Security cover thrown around Rajpath

Tara Shankar Sahay in New Delhi

Unprecedented security arrangements are being made for the Republic Day Parade in New Delhi in the wake of the recent attack on Red Fort and the militants' threat to carry out more such strikes.

A source in the Ministry of Home Affairs said aerial vigil over Rajpath, where the Republic Day parade takes place on January 26, has been upgraded to the highest level.

"The recent attack on Red Fort by Lashkar-e-Tayiba militants and the group's threat to carry out suicide attack on the prime minister's office in South Block are not being taken lightly by the government," said the source.

The MHA is coordinating with the armed forces and the Delhi police to throw a security blanket around Rajpath. "Security has already been tightened in the area," said a special secretary in the Union home ministry.

Security personnel are not allowing tourists to move around freely around South Block either.

Sharpshooters would be deployed on buildings located on both sides of Rajpath on January 26.

"We are not discounting the possibility of miscreants mingling with spectators on Rajpath. A large number of armed plainclothes sleuths will be present on every gallery," the official said.

He admitted that Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee's criticism of the failure of security in Red Fort had galvanised Delhi into tracing the Lashkar-e-Tayiba militants responsible for the shootout in the fort that left three dead.

The officer hinted that more arrests in the Red Fort shootout would follow.

Security has been upgraded at the car parks of both South Block and North Block with cops with metal and explosive detectors permitting only government vehicles.

"There will be no unauthorised access to South Block and even those having official business will have to go through strict security measures," the officer pointed out.

A senior army official told rediff.com that people in the vicinity of South Block, North Block and other important government buildings with heavy over-garments (overcoats and thick leather jackets) will immediately fall into the scrutiny of security personnel.

He said the militants who stormed the Red Fort last Friday, wore leather jackets in which they hid their weapons.

The home ministry is also worried about the possibility of militants using rocket-propelled grenades (RPG-7) to disrupt the Republic Day parade

Senior army officials pointed out that RPGs could easily be concealed in a vehicle and fired easily with devastating effect.

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