Anti-terrorist squad deployed in Puri ahead of Rath
Bhubaneswar: Odisha Police, for the first time, deployed an anti-terrorist squad (ATS) in Puri ahead of the June 27 Rath Yatra with the govt anticipating over 10 lakh people, including potential VVIP guests such as Union ministers and chief ministers from NDA-governed states, likely to attend the event.
Deployment of ATS is significant given the current Indo-Pak relations and the govt sending out invitations to the president, prime minister and various state chief ministers for the annual celebration.
The ATS, consisting of urban warfare-trained commandos from Odisha Police's special tactical group, took positions outside Jagannath Temple on Tuesday, a day before Wednesday's Debasnan Purnima ceremony, an essential pre-Rath Yatra festival.
Odisha Police recently positioned Rakshak, an armoured vehicle with bullet-proof capabilities, outside the temple. This vehicle is designed to resist intense artillery fire and explosive devices.
"The ATS deployment has enhanced our counter-terrorism capabilities at this strategic installation. Their presence will supplement our overall security arrangements for Debasnan Purnima on Wednesday and Rath Yatra on June 27.
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Safety of the temple and devotees is our priority," Puri SP Vinit Agrawal said.
IGP (central range) S Praveen Kumar and Agrawal inspected security arrangements for Debasnan Purnima. On the occasion of Debasnan Purnima, the sibling deities — Jagannath, Balabhadra and Subhadra — would be given a ceremonial bath on Snan Mandap (bathing dais) on the shrine premises and would appear in Hati Besha in the evening. The temple administration has urged servitors not to stand in front of the idols.
Devotees have been asked not to touch the deities during darshan.
"We expect heavy footfall of devotees like last year. Convenience of devotees and smooth darshan is our priority. Nearly 70 platoons of police force have been deployed for security, crowd management and traffic regulation," Kumar said.
Anticipating over 10 lakh devotees on Rath Yatra, Odisha Police have also emphasised on comprehensive CCTV monitoring. "Live surveillance using AI-enabled cameras and crowd control would be essential for public safety. We are also laying focus on gathering intelligence and securing the Puri coastline against possible threats," a senior police officer said.
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