Think security blanket thrown around HICC for BJP meeting
The restrictions on movement of people at the venue came into force on Friday. Only valid pass holders were being allowed to enter the area.
Hyderabad: A thick security blanket has been thrown around Hyderabad International Convention Centre (HICC) ahead of the national executive meeting of BJP beginning on Saturday.
HICC, adjacent to Novotel hotel and Hyderabad International Trade Expositions Centre (HITEX) in information technology district Hitec City resembled an impregnable fortress as hundreds of personnel of Telangana police, state and central security agencies were deployed as part of massive security for the two-day event.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi, several Central ministers, chief ministers and deputy chief ministers of BJP-ruled states and top party leaders will be attending the meeting.
Special Protection Group (SPG), which is responsible for the security of the Prime Minister and other VVIPs, has already taken over the sprawling premises of HICC and its surroundings.
The restrictions on movement of people at the venue came into force on Friday. Only valid pass holders were being allowed to enter the area.
Barricades were erected at the main entrance of HITEX and on internal roads to restrict people’s movement.
A four-layered security ring was formed at the venue with Cyberabad police taking care of the three outer layers. A police command and control centre had also been formed to monitor security arrangements.
Deployment of snipers, anti-sabotage checks, quick response teams and bomb disposal squads form part of the security arrangements.
Cyberabad police have imposed prohibitory orders under section 144, banning assembly of five or more persons from July 1 to July 4. Elaborate measures were in place to deal with any spontaneous protests.
The police have also prohibited flying of remotely controlled drones, para-gliders and remotely controlled micro-light aircrafts in a five km radius around HICC.
Cyberabad Police Commissioner M. Stephen Raveendra said that arrangements have been made in line with the SPG’s Blue Book. Police and security agencies will take care of multi-layered security, access controls and anti-sabotage setups, and VVIP protection.
About 10,000 police personnel of Hyderabad and Cyberabad police commissionerates, Telangana State Special Police (TSPS), elite anti-Maoist force Greyhounds and anti-terror force Octopus have been deployed as part of the security for the BJP national executive and also the public meeting at Parade Grounds in Secunderabad which will be addressed by Prime Minister Modi and other leaders.
The Prime Minister, who will be landing at Begumpet Airport in the city at 2.55 p.m. on Saturday, will fly to the national executive meeting venue by a helicopter.
A special helipad has been prepared at HITEX for the Prime Minister’s helicopter. He will spend Saturday night at Novotel abutting HICC.
After the national executive meeting, Modi will fly to Begumpet Airport by helicopter and from there he will reach nearby Parade Ground by road. After addressing the public meeting, he will reach Raj Bhavan, the official residence of the governor for the night halt and the next day he will leave for Bhimavaram in Andhra Pradesh.
Hyderabad Police Commissioner C.V. Anand on Friday visited Parade Grounds to review the security arrangements.
As the BJP expects 10 lakh people for the meeting, the police were making elaborate security arrangements for regulating the traffic and movement of people.
In addition to the BJP national executive meeting venue and Parade Ground, police have also made tight security arrangements at hotels, guest houses and other places where the delegates are staying.
