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| High alert around Parliament, US embassy, Taj Mahal | | | B L KAK
NEW DELHI, JULY 17: The Centre has issued fresh instructions, urging law and order machinery in States and Union Territories to be in a state of preparedness, with emerging threat from some terrorist organisations. No wonder, India's most prestigious centre--Parliament House--and vital civil and defence installations have been heavily fortified following an alert that heavily armed foreign terrorists have infiltrated the territory of Delhi to carry out suicide attacks.
In addition to 3,500 security personnel who guard the gigantic circular stone building, over 600 personel have been stationed around Parliament House. A round-the-clock vigil has been ordered not only around Parliament House but also around Rashtrapati Bhavan, Prime Minister's offical residence, Army Headquarters and Sena Bhavan. This apart, tight security measures have now become too evident to be missed around the residential premises of almost all VIPs.
And as the talk of a possiblke attack on the US embassy became louder in the past one week, security around the US chancery and other American installations has been beefed up. Further intelligence inputs have prompted the Delhi Police to be on a state of high alert. Quoting intelligence reports, Delhi Police sources said that a group of 20 terrorists trained to target high profile and sensitive buildings is currently holed up in the metropolis. The group, presumably owing allegiance to the banned Al Qaida, comprises militants of Iranian, Afghan and Kashmiri origins, the sources said.
The terrorist group, responsible for the 9/11 attacks in the United States, earlier this month claimed that it had set up its network in India. Following the intelligence alert, local police have started combing the city to fish out the terrorists. Police have been conducting raids on hotels and guest houses and verifying identities of new tenants in accommodations in Delhi.
Entry to the US embassy has been restricted with only those asked by the embassy to come being allowed after stringent frisking. A three-tier security ring has been thrown around the embassy in Chanakyapuri with central para-military forces joining the Delhi Police. Additional pickets on roads leading to the embassy have been placed and more police vehicles have been stationed to keep a close watch on each vehicle or individual approaching the highly fortified building. Police sources said that one of the 20 militants assumed to be in the city has been identified. While Iranian and Afghan terrorists might try to execute the mission, the Kashmiri terrorists may be with them to provide the logistic support due to their well-established network in and around Delhi, the sources said. Security has been intensified around several other diplomatic missions of western nations, especially allies of the United States in Afghanistan and Iraq.
Security at the Taj Mahal has been increased after officials received a letter threatening to bomb the 17th century monument. Every visitor is being scanned through electronic surveillance systems. The letter contained a specific threat to blow off the Taj and some Jain temples. The sender said that he was linked to the Al Qaida. Additional security forces are guarding the outer circle of the monument and Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) personnel are keeping an eye on every visitor through close circuit cameras and other electronic surveillance systems.
In recent days, a number of police and paramilitary personnel have been found suffering from wear-and-tear syndrome. This ominous phenomenon is not confined to Delhi alone; several other States, including Jammu and Kashmir, north-eastern region and Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh, besides Bihar, Maharashtra and Chhattisgarh, have also reported some kind of changes in the psycho-system of overburdened men in khaki.
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