UP to tighten security during Sonia visits

Lucknow, Dec 22 (UNI) Uttar Pradesh government directed to step up security measures for any future visit of Congress president Sonia Gandhi following an advisory from the Centre on threat to the leader from Al-Qaeda backed terrorists.

Sources confirmed that the state police has received an advisory by the Union Home Ministry over threat to the life of Ms Gandhi.

The directive from the Centre has also identified Rae Bareli, the Lok Sabha constituency of Ms Gandhi along with Lucknow and Allahabad as the main target areas of the terrorist groups.

Earlier, the security of the Congress president was put on high alert in the national capital after Union Home Ministry warned the Special Protection Group (SPG) and state governments about the threat of an attack on her by a terrorist outfit.

The advisory based on the inputs from Intelligence agencies apprehends that terrorists might seek to penetrate Ms Gandhi's security ring by using forged identity cards.

The Centre has also alerted UP for stringent security measures during the coming electioneering in the state assembly elections.

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