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Pran Pratishtha ceremony: Cops in civvies, armed with soft skills, to frisk, provide security to VVIPs
High alert sounded for ceremony; cops in uniform equipped with high tech firearms to guard temple town
Two categories of policemen—specially trained cops in civvies to provide security and assist visitors, and the other in uniform, equipped with firearms to guard the temple town — will be deployed for the Pran Pratishtha ceremony on January 22, said UP Police director general (DG), law and order, Prashant Kumar, on Tuesday.
He said the state police have sounded a high alert for the event, adding that the state agencies are working in coordination with central agencies to make foolproof arrangements and avert trouble before or after the event.
“There will be a separate dress code for the police at the places where the public or common devotees will visit. The personnel deployed in civvies have been given soft skills’ training and they will be dressed in blazers to greet the invitees. A similar thing was done during the Global Investors Summit in February 2023,” the DG further explained. “All the policemen deployed there will be without weapons and the policemen with weapons will be in uniform,” he added. He said some trainee Indian Police Service (IPS) officers who have come from different states have been deployed as people speaking different languages will come to Ayodhya and all arrangements have been made for their smooth experience. He said these IPS officers will help communicate with visitors speaking different languages and provide them proper assistance to reach their destination.
The UP police headquarters shared further details on Tuesday stating that as many as 570 handpicked young and energetic personnel from 33 different districts would be deployed for proximate security of VVIP invitees and for frisking duties on January 22.
The press note stated that the UP Police security headquarters had specially trained these personnel in three different phases. They were also given smart identity cards which have inbuilt security dynamic QR code. Each police personnel will get details about his duty by scanning these cards. These cards cannot be misused, or, be transferred as they have a unique QR code system.
“In the first phase, the training of those personnel to be deployed closer to VVIPs in civvies—dressed in formals — was about proximate security and checking, frisking duties at the security headquarters in Lucknow from December 20, 2023, to January 12, 2024. It included 45 teams for proximate security led by 45 deputy superintendents of police (DSP) and comprising 225 sub-inspectors, while 60 teams for checking, frisking duties led by 60 sub-inspectors and 120 head constables and constables as well as 120 women constables,” the officials said in the press note.
It further stated that additional director general (ADG), security, Raghubir Lal, addressed them in the second phase on January 13 and made them aware of their duties and responsibilities during the event. In the third phase on January 16, a day-long training was organised at the UP112 auditorium by security headquarters officials and director general of police (DGP) Vijaya Kumar, as well as officials of National Security Guard, and addressed challenges to be faced while performing duties. They were shown a short film about proximate security and alertness to be presented on duty point.
