Indian security agencies and Delhi Police have woven unprecedented security blanket to ensure safe visit of Barack Obama, the President of the United States (POTUS), who will be the first US President to be the guest of honour on Republic Day function with seven-layer security cordon prepared for him.
It is still not clear whether President Obama will be travelling in his limousine called The Beast or will accompany President Pranab Mukherjee in the Indian President’s official car. Meanwhile sources said on Friday that it US Administration has been informed about Indian reservations that visiting dignitaries always travel in the car of the Indian President for the Republic Day parade and there will be no change in that.
Security agencies have asked the authorities to completely shut down 71 highrise buildings in the vicinity of Rajpath for Republic Day celebrations, much higher than earlier occasions when only around 45 establishments were closed. While the number of seats to be sanitised has increased this time, the number of passes issued for this year’s event in ratio of the available seats has seen a decline of almost 60 per cent, source said.
The national Capital will turn into an impregnable fortress with every movement being under the watch of multi-agency control room, which will monitor the surveillance operations here. The security agencies have put the security apparatus of Delhi on the highest alert even though there is no specific Intelligence input about a possible terror strike here, officials engaged with the preparations said.
The Indian Intelligence agencies, security agencies are working in close coordination with the US Secret Service, which guards the US President. The US Secret Service personnel have carried out detailed survey of the routes to be taken by Obama to Rajpath where he will be seated along with President Pranab Mukherjee, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and other VVIPs to watch the
annual parade.
Specialised canine units of Indian paramilitary forces will be in service along with team of Belgian Malinois dogs of the US Navy Seals, which are accompanying the security personnel of the US. Known as the K-9 squad, their breed shot to limelight following Operation Neptune Spear where they sniffed out and helped in the arrest of most wanted terrorist Osama bin laden from his safe house in Abbottabad in Pakistan.
These dog ‘officers’ have already landed here and deployed to secure the retreat for Obama’s visit — ITC Maurya — along with a dozen canines of the Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP). Another batch of these canines will be pressed for similar duties at Rajpath, Rashtrapati Bhavan and a few other locations.
A comprehensive security ring will be thrown around the VVIP enclosure with elite Special Protection Group (SPG) and Secret Service personnel forming a part of the close proximity ring, official sources said, adding a radar has been exclusively kept for monitoring air space over the VVIP enclosure.