It was a challenging task for the security forces as the Prime Minister delivered his maiden Independence Day speech without a bulletproof shield and thousands of people in attendance.
Meticulous planning and clinical execution of the security arrangements by Delhi Police in concert with the Central security agencies ensured that the Independence Day celebrations at Red Fort went off peacefully. Over 15,000 security personnel from the Delhi Police and paramilitary forces maintained a hawk-eyed vigil in and around the historic 17 century monument and ensured that the Independence Day celebrations went by without a hitch.
It was literally a round-the-clock vigil at the venue, as for the first time two high-resolution Pan Tilt and Zoom (PTZ) cameras costing Rs 2.5 crore were mounted at the two burjs (towers) of the Red Fort to keep a tab on any suspicious activity in a four-km radius of the Mughal era monument. The cameras, which were mounted, are more powerful than those used by television broadcasters.
The live feed from the cameras was closely monitored at the Delhi Police command room at the venue. An official from the National Security Guard (NSG) was also watching the live footage so that he could instruct the snipers perched at vantage points of the high rises if the need arose.
Besides, police had also installed around 200 closed circuit television (CCTV) cameras in the vicinity of the Red Fort while about hundreds were mounted on all routes leading to the 17th century fort. It was for the first time that CCTV cameras were installed on the entire route taken by Prime Minister Narendra Modi via Rajghat. Even the contingency route had a network of CCTV cameras.