Ahmedabad, June 25
In the wake of rising terrorist threat, the city police has chalked out a foolproof security blanket for the 129th annual rath yatra of Lord Jagannath to be taken out from the famous century-old Jagannath Temple from the Jamalpur area on June 27.The Jagannath Temple complex has been provided with electronic gadgets, including close circuit televisions (CCT), metal detectors, video camera and others.
Specially trained policemen are being deployed to monitor the movement of devotees in and around the Jagannath temple to prevent any terrorist bid to disturb the yatra, Mr C. R. Parmar, Additional Commissioner of Police (ACP) (Special Branch), said here today.
The yatra will consist of three-chariots of Lord Jagannath , his brother Balram and sister Shubhadra. Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi will also perform pooja.
The rath yatra will also have traditional attraction of 16 decorative elephants, nearly 100 decorated trucks, 30 teams of gymnasts performing various feats. Over 2,000 saints , sadhus and thousands of devotees from all over the country will gather on the occasion.
In an exclusive interview to UNI, Mr Parmar said six teams of specially trained policemen would closely watch movements and activities of devotees and visitors inside and outside the temple on CCTVs.
Mr Parmar said besides electronics and hi-tech devices, a thick security blanket had been thrown around the temple complex and all along the entire route of 25 km for the peaceful conduct of the religious procession.
He said nearly 20,000-strong contingent of the security forces would be deployed. The entire procession would be monitored by City Police Commissioner K. R. Kaushik.
The procession will be manned by three IGPs, three Deputy IGPs, 27 Superintendents of Police, 51 Assistant Police Commissioners, 143 Inspectors, 520 sub-inspectors, nearly 10,000 police constables of city police and horse-mounted policemen.
— UNI
