Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Congress leader Rahul Gandhi will be holding their first rallies in the national capital on Saturday just ahead of the fifth phase of voting for the Lok Sabha elections scheduled on May 20. Delhi will also be soon voting for seven Lok Sabha seats in the sixth phase on May 25.
An extensive security and traffic management plan has been put in place for Prime Minister Narendra Modi's rally at the DDA ground in Yamuna Khadar on Saturday at 4 PM. Modi would be leading the campaign trail for the party's North-east candidate Manoj Tiwari who is seeking to retain the seat for the third time.
According to Hindustan Times, more than 2,000 security and traffic personnel will be deployed to ensure the event runs smoothly. Citing a police officer, the news outlet said the PM would arrive at the venue in a chopper straight after addressing a rally in Haryana's Sonipat.
The security detail includes a four-layer cordon: the innermost by Special Protection Group (SPG) commandos, followed by the Delhi Police’s PM security wing, and two outer layers managed by city police and armed paramilitary forces.
The venue and surrounding areas have undergone thorough scanning, with final inspections by sniffer dogs, bomb detection, and disposal squads set for Saturday.
Personnel from the city police and armed paramilitary forces will handle the double layer of outer security, as reported by Hindustan Times, citing an officer on condition of anonymity.
To handle the crowd and maintain traffic flow, elaborate arrangements have been coordinated by the Delhi Police, with Police Chief Sanjay Arora overseeing the preparations in a meeting with senior officers.
Meanwhile, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi will hold a rally at the Ramlila Ground in Ashok Vihar at 6 PM, where a similar security protocol will be observed to ensure the safety and order of the event.
Additionally, the Delhi Traffic Police have issued an advisory for commuters and motorists and urged them to avoid the routes to the rally sites as traffic movement is likely to be impacted due to VVIP movements.
It further added that traffic measures will be taken from 2 pm onwards.
The Traffic Police have urged commuters to avoid roads including Chaudhari Gulab Singh Road, KC Goel Marg, Satyawati College Road in Ashok Vihar, Nahar Singh Marg, Swami Narayan Marg, and Nirankari Marg.
Due to massive security deployment amid the VVIP movement, commuters have also been suggested to avoid travelling on Wazirabad Road including Signature Bridge, Pusta Road from Shastri Park to Khajuri Chowk, and others.
The advisory further stated that traffic movement on Pusta Road from Shastri Park to Khajuri Chowk on both carriageways will be halted from 2 pm onwards till the completion of the program.
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