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Security beefed up around Sankat Mochan
SECURITY HAS been beefed up around Sankat Mochan Temple after the authorities reviewed the security measures inside the temple premises on Monday.
SECURITY HAS been beefed up around Sankat Mochan Temple after the authorities reviewed the security measures inside the temple premises on Monday.
Varanasi district magistrate Nitin Romesh Gokran on Monday visited the temple and also called on head priest of the Temple Veer Bhader Mishra to discuss security measures to be taken for the temple and the devotees.
The temple administration is averse to deployment of security personnel inside the temple premises and its head priest Misra already having voiced his strong opposition to such official plans.
As the temple became hub of VVIPs who started pouring in the temple and Cantonment area from all over the country, massive security deployment had been made in the Sankat Mochan area.
Among the VVIPs who visited the blast site included UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi, Union Home Minister Shivraj Patil, Chief Minister Mulayam Singh, Uma Bharti, former MP CM, former chief of UP BJP Vinay Katiyar, Javed Akhtar, Swami Agnivesh etc.
However, the head priest expressed anguish at the state government for taking the security measures inside the temple ‘casually’ and in this connection talked to Principal Secretary (Home) Alok Sinha on Sunday who is reported to have instructed the DM consult the head priest on the security issue.
"Yes, I talked to with Veer Bhader Mishra on Monday and discussed the permanent security measures inside the temple premises,” district magistrate NR Gokran told Hindustan Times on Monday.
It was decided that inside security of the temple be entrusted to the temple administation and the outside security be taken care of by the administration, he added.
But, the situation demanded that the security be beefed up and in this connection close circuit cameras are in the process of being installed to monitor the movement of devottes, he added.
There are reports that close circuit cameras would also be arranged by the temple administration.
However, private security personnel of the temple administration have started functioning.
"This private security will also work in tandem with the official security deployed outside the temple premises", Gokran said.
