Advani arrives in Shillong

Shillong, Sep 29 (UNI) Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha L K Advani today arrived here from Guwahati.

The senior BJP leader met Meghalaya Chief Minister Donkupar Roy, former Lok Sabha Speaker P A Sangma and other leaders of the ruling MPA. With only one Legislator in the 60-member House, the BJP is supporting the NCP-backed Meghalaya Progressive Alliance government.

He also laid the foundation stone of a new BJP office here.

Mr Advani is scheduled to address a rally later in the day as part of his nationwide 'Sankalp Yatra' and also meet religious leaders of various faiths.

Elaborate security arrangements have been made for the BJP Prime Ministerial candidate's visit to the state in the wake of an e-mail threat to eliminate him.

The Chief Minister has asked the state police to ensure foolproof security cover for the topmost BJP leader.

A team of National Security Guards, which landed in Shillong, assessed the security scenario with the state police officials and other central agencies.

''Security measures are being evaluated on an hour-to-hour basis.

We don't want to take any chance after an e-mail threat to kill Mr Advani,'' State Director General of Police B K Dey Sawian told UNI here.

When approached, security agencies said, ''No inputs can be taken lightly, especially after the national capital was again hit by a bomb blast on Saturday.

''The route through which Mr Advani will drive in and around the state has been sanitized and several areas have been sealed off for the general public,'' official sources said.

The state police have laid special stress on anti-sabotage and anti-explosive checks, tight access control and vigil in and around the city.

On Wednesday night, two local dailies received an email from 'Field Commander-North East of Indian Mujahideen Ali Hussian Badr' threatening to kill Mr Advani during his visit to Shillong.

The police later arrested Mominul Haque, a third-year law student, after he confessed to have posted the death threat in the name of Ali Hussian Badr.

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