Cops step up vigil to prevent Ramdev entry,snap protests

Earlier in the day,Delhi Police personnel had gone into a tizzy after receiving an “intelligence input” that Baba Ramdev was on his way to Delhi to attend a day-long fast called by civil rights activist Anna Hazare in Rajghat,Central Delhi. Though the police were told by the organisers that 5,000 people would attend the protest,the turn-out was much lower.

Deployment was stepped up at all border areas and passing vehicles were checked to see if Ramdev had entered the Capital clandestinely. As there is no prohibitory order restraining Ramdev from the entering Delhi,police are mulling over the possibility of invoking Section 144 (III) of the CrPC,which prohibits the entry of an individual into a particular area.

Snipers,commandos and Rapid Action Force (RAF) personnel were deployed across the city to avoid any untoward incident. The Rajghat area,where the protest was held,was fortified with over a thousand police personnel. Apart from the Delhi Police,additional companies of the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) and Rapid Action Force were deployed to prevent untoward incidents.

“A message through the wireless set stated that Ramdev was about to enter Delhi. The entire force was mobilised,and we took all kinds of precautionary measures,” said a senior police officer. Security was intensified around 12.30 pm.

To prevent a re-run of the standoff at Ramlila Maidan earlier this week,police had taken all the precautionary measures required. The protesters at Rajghat were treated with extreme care. “We had taken control of the area a day ago,and sanitised it beforehand. Bomb disposal squads and sniffer dogs were placed on the standby,” a senior police officer said.