R’Day-type security along Rajpath for Olympic torch run

Republic Day type of strict security guidelines were issued by the Home Ministry for the Olympic torch run in New Delhi.

Republic Day type of strict security guidelines were on Wednesday issued by the Home Ministry on the eve of the Olympic torch relay run on the Rajpath to ensure that the event passed off peacefully.

As per the guidelines, all doors and windows of buildings facing Rajpath should remain closed from 1300 hours to 1800 hours, when the torch relay run will pass through the two-km stretch from Rashtrapati Bhawan to India Gate.

Sources in the Ministry said the circular prohibits visitors from entering any of the offices along Rajpath after 1300 hours and if any visitor has come to those offices, they should leave by 1 PM.

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They said strict vigilance would be maintained at other gates of those buildings and entry would be granted only to bonafide people.

The instructions made it clear that only the police, military and security personnel on duty on Thursday would be allowed to access to rooftops and balconies of those buildings after 1300 hours and no employee would be allowed there after that time.

Even the lawns outside North Block and South Block would remain out of bounds for visitors as well as employees and the parking space would remain closed, the guidelines added.

The nitty-gritty of the security arrangements were finalised on Tuesday at a high-level meeting convened by Union Home Secretary Madhukar Gupta.

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Union Minister of State for Home Shakeel Ahmed has said that the government was committed to ensuring safe passage of the torch to its next destination.