New Delhi:
As Delhi spent a nervous weekend wondering about an "imminent" terror strike, as warned by the US, the city's Lieutenant Governor, Tejendra Khanna appeals to all residents to be watchful, and to develop vigilance as a collective sixth sense.
Here's an excerpt from his interview to NDTV:
NDTV: After various terror alerts from different countries, people of Delhi are worried. We speak to the Lt Gov to find out how serious is the threat. Sir, what is your message to the people of Delhi?
Khanna: Firstly, I just want to say this notification about possible terror strikes is nothing new. We keep on getting it virtually every alternate week, and I have maintained, right from 2007 when I took over, that the national capital has to cope with a very sensitive security environment on a long-term basis. It's not today, tomorrow, the day after; it's just going to be there because we happen to be living in the national capital. And there are, unfortunately, some hostile elements who feel jealous about India's peace, India's progress, prosperity...the fact that we are a multi-religious society living in peace with each other...peace and harmony...and they somehow feel enemical and jealous about this.
NDTV: Are you saying that the people of Delhi need to be on alert all the time?
Khanna: Absolutely so. Let me put it, that right from the beginning of 2008, when we had an interaction with a whole host of top level security experts, at Ram Nivas, I took the initiative, and the clear message which came was, whatever else the formal security apparatus does in terms of police, and intelligence and so on, the security environment can really improve on a sustained basis, stay stable, when every citizen becomes a part and parcel of that security apparatus and instrumentality. What this really means now in Delhi, we have people from all colors and backgrounds living here. There are people of different religions, languages, parts of the country living here. We have the highest honor and respect for every single citizen, irrespective of caste, colour, creed or religion. What I would appeal to everyone of them, individually, is that please play your part in maintaining and sustaining stable peace and security in the national capital. I think that if all of us collectively make that effort, if anything arouses our suspicion in terms of movement of persons, unidentifiable packages being left behind and so and so forth, and if they notify the police in time, maybe we can just keep that step ahead and prevent an actual terrorist strike occurring in the capital.
NDTV: Are you saying that all citizens need to be on a kind of high alert all the time?
Khanna: It should become a part of their sixth sense. I have often said, and I've said it in every single Republic Day message, beginning of 2008, 2009, 2010 and at the Delhi Police raising and other occasions, that at your place of residence, place of work, place of recreation or entertainment, place of shopping, just keep a little extra alert. If you notice anything unusual, please notify us. There's a 24-hour police number, 1090.
NDTV: This particular round of alerts, is there any one place the people should try and be careful, or try and avoid?
Khanna: No. Basically, as you know, the alert talked about important shopping complexes. CP is there, Karol Bagh is there, Janpath is there, and some others, Sarojini Nagar and so on and so forth, but, my point is, there of course, we have already been in close contact with the trade associations, there's a lot of security cooperation that is going on...the police has put out perimeter security. The trade associations helped to put up CCTV cameras, DFMDs - the metal frame detectors and so on, and a lot of work is going on and we are happy with the cooperation being extended to us by the trade associations, owners of restaurants, hotels, malls, cinemas and places which have high public footfall. This exercise of identifying these important locations of high footfall, and then carrying out security audits, advising on what security features they need to introduce to improve the security environment, has been going on now for over two and a half years. I must compliment the people from these particular institutions also that they have extended cooperation, which is very positive. But, the effort needs to continue to keep on upgrading and also plugging any loopholes that might be there.
Here's an excerpt from his interview to NDTV:
NDTV: After various terror alerts from different countries, people of Delhi are worried. We speak to the Lt Gov to find out how serious is the threat. Sir, what is your message to the people of Delhi?
Khanna: Firstly, I just want to say this notification about possible terror strikes is nothing new. We keep on getting it virtually every alternate week, and I have maintained, right from 2007 when I took over, that the national capital has to cope with a very sensitive security environment on a long-term basis. It's not today, tomorrow, the day after; it's just going to be there because we happen to be living in the national capital. And there are, unfortunately, some hostile elements who feel jealous about India's peace, India's progress, prosperity...the fact that we are a multi-religious society living in peace with each other...peace and harmony...and they somehow feel enemical and jealous about this.
NDTV: Are you saying that the people of Delhi need to be on alert all the time?
Khanna: Absolutely so. Let me put it, that right from the beginning of 2008, when we had an interaction with a whole host of top level security experts, at Ram Nivas, I took the initiative, and the clear message which came was, whatever else the formal security apparatus does in terms of police, and intelligence and so on, the security environment can really improve on a sustained basis, stay stable, when every citizen becomes a part and parcel of that security apparatus and instrumentality. What this really means now in Delhi, we have people from all colors and backgrounds living here. There are people of different religions, languages, parts of the country living here. We have the highest honor and respect for every single citizen, irrespective of caste, colour, creed or religion. What I would appeal to everyone of them, individually, is that please play your part in maintaining and sustaining stable peace and security in the national capital. I think that if all of us collectively make that effort, if anything arouses our suspicion in terms of movement of persons, unidentifiable packages being left behind and so and so forth, and if they notify the police in time, maybe we can just keep that step ahead and prevent an actual terrorist strike occurring in the capital.
NDTV: Are you saying that all citizens need to be on a kind of high alert all the time?
Khanna: It should become a part of their sixth sense. I have often said, and I've said it in every single Republic Day message, beginning of 2008, 2009, 2010 and at the Delhi Police raising and other occasions, that at your place of residence, place of work, place of recreation or entertainment, place of shopping, just keep a little extra alert. If you notice anything unusual, please notify us. There's a 24-hour police number, 1090.
NDTV: This particular round of alerts, is there any one place the people should try and be careful, or try and avoid?
Khanna: No. Basically, as you know, the alert talked about important shopping complexes. CP is there, Karol Bagh is there, Janpath is there, and some others, Sarojini Nagar and so on and so forth, but, my point is, there of course, we have already been in close contact with the trade associations, there's a lot of security cooperation that is going on...the police has put out perimeter security. The trade associations helped to put up CCTV cameras, DFMDs - the metal frame detectors and so on, and a lot of work is going on and we are happy with the cooperation being extended to us by the trade associations, owners of restaurants, hotels, malls, cinemas and places which have high public footfall. This exercise of identifying these important locations of high footfall, and then carrying out security audits, advising on what security features they need to introduce to improve the security environment, has been going on now for over two and a half years. I must compliment the people from these particular institutions also that they have extended cooperation, which is very positive. But, the effort needs to continue to keep on upgrading and also plugging any loopholes that might be there.
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