Vajpayee no more: 5 lakh expected in Delhi, heavy security in place

New Delhi, Aug 17: The streets of Delhi are swarming with security personnel to ensure that the funeral of former prime minister, Bharat Ratna, Atal Bihari Vajpayee is a smooth affair. The Delhi Armed Police along with the Paramilitary police from Central, North and New Delhi, number over 2,000 have been tasked with providing security.

Incidentally this the first funeral on this scale the Delhi police is handling after a gap of 27 years. The last time such elaborate security was provided was for the funeral of former PM, Rajiv Gandhi. The protocol will be the same this time as well.

The police say that there would be at least 5 lakh people including dignitaries and VVIPS attending the funeral. There is heavy security in place both at the BJP's headquarters and Rashtriya Smrithi Sthal, where the late leader would be cremated.

As a precautionary measure, the police have closed 25 arterial roads starting at 8 am.

These include, Krishna Menon Marg, Tughlak Roadd, Akbar Road, Mansingh Road, Shahjahan Road, DDU Marg, a portion of KG Marg and also the stretch between Rajghat and Delhi Gate.

The police have advised people to keep a tab on the social media pages of the Delhi police for traffic updates. The procession will go to the BJP headquarters on DDU Marg from Krishna Menon Marg, at 9 am. The procession would reach the cremation ground by afternoon. The last rites will take place at 4 pm.