Though fool proof security arrangements were made, by the State administration for Modi’s rally on Sunday, traffic police still had a tough time dealing with the flood of vehicles around the venue. It virtually went out of control as soon as Modi started concluding his speech as the crowd, which had come from faraway places, started rushing towards their destinations. A pool of four-wheelers remained stranded for hours after the rally at the HEC gate.
Proper security arrangements were made by the police department so that no loopholes are left to provide security for the BJP’s prime ministerial candidate Narendra Modi. “As per the plan, we implemented the strategy chalked out for the rally which went on smoothly and no such untoward incident was reported during the rally,” said SSP Bheemsen Tuti. NSG commandos were provided all the adequate assistance whatever they needed by the State police, he said.
Over 2,000 policemen were deployed along with the Gujarat Police and the NSG commandos at the venue. A total of three layer security was put in place for Modi at the venue. CCTV cameras were keeping a close eye and the footage being monitored by the senior police officials at a centralised control room. No was allowed to enter the ground without frisking, which was completely barricaded and was under the tight control of the security forces. As many as 40 entry gates with framed metal detectors were left open for the crowd.
“Twenty CCTV cameras along with six doom cameras were installed at the venue to keep a close vigil at the crowd,” said a police official deputed at the ground. Besides that policemen were at constant vigil through high resolution binoculars from the four watch towers which were set up at the venue ground. Special surveillance was being done at Ranchi and Hatia railway stations as well as the three bus stands of the city which also witnessed a huge crowd on Sunday.
Extra care was taken for Modi’s rally in Ranchi after the serial blasts took place in a similar meeting at Patna during on October 24, leaving six people dead. Four out of six suspects —Mohammad Imtiaz Ansari, Mohammad Tarique Ansari, Mohammed Toufiqe Ansari and Mohmmad Noman —belong to Sithio, a village near the rally ground in Dhurwa, where according to police conspiracy of Patna attack was hatched.