Unprecedented security for Modi in Varanasi

Varanasi, Jan 22: An unprecedented security arrangement has been put in place for Prime Minister Narendra Modi's scheduled visit to his parliamentary constituency on Friday, officials said.

Officials involved in the security arrangements told IANS that Modi would be under a five-tier security, owing to the "threat perception", mainly after the Pathankot terror attack.

While the Special Protection Group (SPG) would be in close proximity to the prime minister, the second ring would be of the National Security Guard (NSG) commandos, followed by the commandos of the Anti-Terror Squad (ATS), the fourth ring being of the central police force and the fifth and the outer most ring being that of the local police.

"All the areas where the prime minister's cavalcade would be moving have been sanitised and would be thrown out of bounds for the people of the city more than four hours in advance," a district police official told IANS.

Hundreds of policemen and security personnel have been deployed at the Lal Bahadur Shastri airport and Dereka, where Modi, after his arrival, would be spending over two hours.

IANS