Now, armed security cover for Mahatma Samadhi

In the wake of the terror attack at Bodh Gaya in Bihar, the Union Home Ministry has deployed armed security personnel to guard Rajghat, the memorial to the Father of the Nation Mahatma Gandhi.

Speaking to Express, Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) spokesperson Hemendra Singh said that around 150 CISF personnel, deployed at the other memorials in the vicinity, took over the security of Rajghat, beginning August 1, 2013, following the Home Ministry’s decision in this regard.

“The Union Home Ministry recently forwarded the communication to us after discussing the issue of deploying armed guards with the Ministry of Urban Development and Intelligence agencies. Following the communication, the CISF unit deployed for nine other memorials extended the security cover to Rajghat,” Singh said.

He said only the CISF commandos stationed at the entrance to the memorial will carry weapons. There will be more personnel inside in uniform but they will not carry any arms.

Singh said all other memorials in the vicinity of Rajghat, including Vijay Sthal- memorial to Lal Bahadur Shastri and Shakti Sthal- memorial to Indira Gandhi, have been provided armed security cover since 2004. But considering Mahatma Gandhi’s principle of non-violence and his teachings, the proposal of armed security at Rajghat had been kept in abeyance by the government.

Sources said the issue was taken up again after an intelligence input was received suggesting threat to important memorials in New Delhi, thronged by politicians and foreign visitors.

“There was a high-level meeting in the ministry to discuss the security issues at important installations in the national capital and elsewhere. Since intelligence agencies warned about the vulnerability of such locations, a decision was taken and subsequently conveyed to Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) which will also guard the Bodh Gaya temple which came under attack recently,” sources said.

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