Over 10,000 police personnel to secure Red Fort ahead of PM’s Independence Day speech

The Delhi Police on Wednesday issued a strict traffic advisory ahead of Independence Day celebrations, restricting movement around the Red Fort area and closing several roads for general traffic on Thursday.

The Delhi Police on Wednesday issued a strict traffic advisory ahead of Independence Day celebrations, restricting movement around the Red Fort area and closing several roads for general traffic on Thursday.

It also reiterated the prohibitory order dated August 1 on the ban on flying sub-conventional aerial platforms such as paragliders, hot air balloons and small-sized powered aircraft over the Capital till Thursday.

According to the advisory, over 10,000 police personnel will be deployed at Red Fort, where Prime Minister Narendra Modi will address the nation on Thursday morning.

Multiple layers of security have also been put in place around the venue, including 700 artificial intelligence-based facial recognition CCTV cameras equipped with high-resolution pan-tilt-zoom features to ensure fool-proof security, an officer said.

The general public visiting the Red Fort for the event has been asked to not bring cameras, binoculars, remote controlled car keys, umbrellas, handbags, briefcases, transistors, lighters, tiffin boxes or water bottles, officers said.

The advisory also asked the public not to touch any suspicious objects and immediately report any, if seen, to the nearest policeman.

Additional police teams and paramilitary forces have been deployed at various locations including Indira Gandhi International Airport, railway stations, bus stands, malls, metro stations and markets, according to the advisory.