High security; Red Fort resembles fortress

New Delhi, Aug 15: Elaborate security arrangements were witnessed all over the city today as the Nation celebrated its 61st Independence Day with the unfurling of the national Flag on the ramparts of the Red Fort by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh.

A huge police bandobast was witnessed on the roads leading to the Red Fort, the venue for the event with police barricades stationed at several points across the city for detailed checking of vehicles.

The security arrangements on the Ring road between Nizamuddin and ISBT were specially stringent with a posse of policepersons stationed at every 500 mt for checking of the passing vehicles and keeping a close watch for suspicious objects or people.

The area around the Red Fort- Bahadurshah Zafar Marg, Ansari Road, Chandi Chowk, Old Delhi Railway Station and Chandni Chowk were marked by unprecedented security, making the area resemble a fortress.

Mediapersons and other visitors at the Red Fort had to pass through multifarious security checks, while their vehicles were also throughly scanned.

Further, the sitting enclosures were also subjected to thorough frisking with the help of sniffer dogs.

Infact, the traffic police had carried out several diversions in the area around the Red Fort with no buses or heavy vehicles being allowed on the Ring road since 0500 hours till 1100 hours as a precautionary measures.

Consequently, the visitors to Red Fort had to travel for long distances barefooted to reach the venue as no buses were in operation.

Those owning motor vehicles also had to go through a circuitous route with the traffic police having effected several diversions along the routes leading to the Red Fort.

UNI