Security beefed up for Modi’s rally in Bihar

Patna, Feb 28 (IANS) Security has been beefed up for Prime Minister Narendra Modi's Sankalp rally here on March 3 when he is likely to launch NDA's campaign for the upcoming Lok Sabha polls, police said on Thursday.

Top officers of Bihar Police along with officials of advance security liaison (ASL) of Special Protection Group (SPG) - an elite commando force - Intelligence Bureau and other security agencies have been working for a full-proof security in and around rally venue Gandhi Maidan.

Security has been tightened across Patna, including at airports and railway stations.

Gandhi Maidan has been completely sealed for the public. Security personnel have been deployed on high rise buildings around the venue, Patna senior Superintendent of Police Garima Malik said.

According to a police officer, every move near the venue is under high tech surveillance. Bihar will be on full alert during Modi's rally.

During the rally, 4,000 policemen along with hundreds of officials from various intelligence agencies will be deployed.

"NDA leaders, workers and supporters will come in 30 trains for the rally," Janata Dal-United (JD-U) General Secretary and party's Rajya Sabha member R.C.P. Singh said.

Senior Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader and Bihar Cabinet Minister Nand Kishore Yadav said more than 5,000 buses will come to Patna for the rally, besides hundreds of four vehicles.

Leaders of the BJP and its allies JD-U and Lok Janshakti Party (LJP) have been busy touring different parts of the state to mobilise support for the rally.

The Sankalp rally will be the first joint rally of Narendra Modi and JD-U chief Nitish Kumar and their first big show after Nitish Kumar joined hands with the BJP in July 2017.