New Delhi:
A multi-layer security blanket has been thrown around the national capital as India celebrates its 67th Republic Day today. French President Francois Hollande, the chief guest at this year's celebration, witnessed the grand parade in the heart of the capital along with President Pranab Mukherjee and Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
Around 50,000 security personnel, including 15,000 from the paramilitary, have been deployed across the city as part of massive security arrangements.
The preparations come after a recent security review chaired by Home Minister Rajnath Singh, where officials concluded there is a "very real" ISIS threat for Republic Day when President Hollande will officiate as the chief guest at the parade.
Special arrangements were made at the Rajpath - the majestic avenue connecting India Gate with the Presidential palace - where President Pranab Mukherjee, who is the Commander-in-Chief of the Defence Services, witnessed the country's military might that was on display.
Anti-aircraft guns and light machine guns were positioned at 10 strategic points along the route where the parade took place. Around 1,000 snipers had been positioned on buildings within a two-kilometre radius of Rajpath.
Around 15,000 newly-installed CCTV cameras were used to keep watch over the parade route. Rajpath, the main venue of the parade, itself had nearly 160 CCTV cameras installed - one every 18 metres.
The city was declared a no-fly zone, covering a radius of nearly 300 kilometres, during the duration of the parade. No commercial flights will operate out of the IGI airport between 10.35 am and 12.15 pm today.
Security personnel have been given clear instructions to bring down any aerial object flying without permission during that period.
Around 1,000 traffic cops in the city have been issued revolvers to deal with any untoward incident today. "We are coordinating with central security forces and adequate security arrangements have been made," Delhi Police Commissioner BS Bassi said on Monday.
The vigil comes amid a heightened alert across the country after the terror attack on the Pathankot air base earlier this month and the arrests of a dozen suspected ISIS sympathisers in a nationwide sweep last week.
Security agencies want to prevent a Paris-style attack, where the terrorists were under surveillance and yet managed to strike. ISIS gunmen had attacked Paris in November, killing 130 people in a cafe, rock concert and other public places.
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