The Hindu : When security was a concern

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Friday, Mar 26, 2004

National

National

When security was a concern

By Lalit Shastri

INDORE, MARCH 26. The Congress president, Sonia Gandhi's daylong ``Jan Sampark Abhiyan'' in the Nimad area of Madhya Pradesh and her subsequent interaction with mediapersons on the road outside the Residency Kothi here on Wednesday night caused concern to the Special Protection Group (SPG) which is providing security to her.

The security includes protection from close quarters and comprises security rings, isolation cordons and the sterile zone around the VVIPs. Before Ms. Gandhi landed at the Nagchun helipad at Khandwa on Wednesday morning, the SPG team had thoroughly made a check.

However, when her motorcade left the helipad and reached the Moghat area of Khandwa barely a kilometre away, crowds surged on to the special barricade specially erected along a section of Ms. Gandhi's route. Here, the Congress president left her vehicle and was seen freely mingling with the public.

As Ms. Gandhi proceeded further, she was seen leaving her vehicle and mixing freely with the crowd. The ropes being used by the securitymen to cordon off people were no hurdle for the crowds. There was total chaos when the venue of Ms. Gandhi's press conference was changed at the last moment on Wednesday night.

A special shamiana had been erected on a sprawling lawn inside the Residency Kothi premises where Ms. Gandhi was supposed to address mediapersons at 8 p.m. The last-minute announcement by the PCC president, Subhash Yadav, that Ms. Gandhi would be talking to journalists and television news channels on the road outside the Residency gate took everybody by surprise.

Campaigns in Chhattisgarh

PTI reports from Raipur:

Ms. Gandhi began her poll campaign in Raipur, capital of Chhattisgarh, in scorching heat and by interacting with people. Arriving in the afternoon at Mana airport accompanied by senior party leaders, including Ashok Gehlot, Motilal Vohra and Mahendra Karma, Ms. Gandhi stopped at 11 places to accept garlands and greetings of people.

Ms. Gandhi distributed the garlands back, ignoring the tight security arrangements. She also received memorandum.

Although security personnel had cleared only 25 vehicles to be part of the convoy, before leaving Raipur city it swelled to 100 vehicles. — PTI

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