Thursday 14 / November / 2024
Ahmedabad/New Delhi: Four National Security Guard (NSG) teams have been roped in to beef up security at vital installations, including Somnath temple, in western Indian state of Gujarat where alert has been sounded ahead of 'Maha Shivratri' festival on Sunday.
Gujarat DGP P. C. Thakur held a meeting with NSG officials in Gandhinagar on Sunday and announced that one team will be sent to step up security at Somnath temple in Gir-Somnath district.
"Four teams of NSG reached here last night. Out of these, three will remain here, while one team will go to Somnath, which is one of the most important pilgrimage places in Gujarat," he said.
According to the DGP, there are three major pilgrimage spots in the state which attract maximum number of devotees on the occasion of Maha Shivratri, to be celebrated on Monday.
"Whatever information about terror strike is received by us is authentic and verified. There are three main pilgrimage places in Gujarat, including Somnath, Nageshwar Jyotirling in Dwarka and Bhavnath in Junagadh. We have already asked local police to beef security at these places," he said.
Thakur said the state police is leaving no stone unturned to protect the people and foil any attempt by terrorists. "Looking at the Maha Shivratri celebrations, which attract lakhs of people at these places, we have started combing operations, setting up check-posts and intense searches for any suspects. Large number of policemen and SRP have been deployed at these temples," he said.
Gujarat was on high alert on Saturday following intelligence inputs that terrorists have sneaked into the state.
Meanwhile, the national capital was on Sunday put on high alert and security was beefed up at vital installations, important buildings and crowded places after Delhi Police received inputs about a potential terror strike in the city by 10 suspected LeT and JeM militants who are learnt to have entered India through Gujarat. In view of the input, Delhi Police on Sunday heightened its vigil near iconic buildings and military installations in the national capital and security arrangements were stepped up near prominent malls, hospitals, schools and colleges in the city, a police source said.
He further said, the input specifically mentions about 10 militants of Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) and Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) outfits having entered India via Gujarat and that they could carry out a terror strike in Delhi. The Special Cell and Crime Branch of Delhi Police have been briefed about the input separately, so that activities of gangs operating in and around the city and elements with suspected terror links can be monitored. The police are also ensuring that CCTV cameras at all places with high footfall, like popular markets in the city and metro stations are functional. Patrolling across the city has been intensified, the source added.
A high alert was sounded in Gujarat on Saturday after Pakistan National Security Adviser (NSA) Nasir Khan Janjua communicated to his Indian counterpart Ajit Doval about the terrorist infiltration.
