India
In no time, Modi was surrounded by hundreds of excited kids, and just a dozen SPG officers were seen struggling to prevent Modi from being swamped by the children
New Delhi: Last minute changes made it tough for security officers in charge of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s security during the Independence Day celebrations.
The prime minister, who had already shown displeasure at the proposal of installing a bulletproof glass at the Red Fort, suddenly came out of his car as his cavalcade was leaving the Red Fort premises after the completion of his speech. He met and interacted with the school children who had assembled as part of the celebrations, giving them memories to cherish, but the special protection group (SPG) some nervous moments.
Within few seconds of the prime minister coming out of his car to meet the kids, a senior SPG officer signalled to his team. The officers escorted Modi to the place where the students were gathered.
In no time, Modi was surrounded by hundreds of excited kids, and just a dozen SPG officers were seen struggling to prevent Modi from being swamped by the children. The situation was such that Modi himself had to ask the kids, who were rushing to meet him, not to run. After almost five-six minutes, the prime minister moved from Red Fort.
Another tough task for the security agencies was to organise foolproof security. The Intelligence Bureau had suggested an enhancement in the prime minister's security and insisted on installing a bulletproof glass around the podium from which Modi would have delivered his speech at the Red Fort. The security agencies, in a meeting last month, had decided on the installation of bulletproof glass after analysing the threat perception, based on fresh reports. However, a few days before Independence Day, the plan had to be dropped.
The bulletproof enclosure at the Red Fort was introduced in 1985 when Rajiv Gandhi was the prime minister. It became a permanent arrangement until VP Singh opted for a half-closed enclosure for his Independence Day speech in 1990. Later, the bulletproof glass was again raised to body height. In 2015, Modi dropped the idea of installing the bulletproof glass and started delivering speeches in open air podiums.
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