Bastar turns into fortress ahead of Modi’s visit

Bhopal: A thick security blanket has been thrown around Jangla, considered the epicentre of Left-wing extremism in Chhattisgarh’s tribal dominated Bastar, for Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to the place on April 14 as drones and choppers were deployed for surveillance over the area.

“Drones and choppers have been deployed for surveillance in 400 sq km area around the venue of PM’s meeting at Jangla in south Bastar district to keep a vigil on the movement of suspicious elements in the insurgency-hit area.

Besides, search operations have been intensified for the past several weeks in the area keeping view his visit,” a senior police officer posted in Bastar told this newspaper. “Security blanket has been thrown around the area in both the sky and the ground close to the venue of PM’s meeting”, he added.

Four thousand security personnel have been deployed in and around the venue and two dozen police officers, including SPG commandos have been overseeing the security arrangement.

Incidentally, Maoists had blown up a bus carrying 30 jawans near Jangla a fortnight ago killing two cops and injuring five others.

“It is a challenge to put in place security measures for a VVIP in such a Naxal-prone area. Fool proof security has been arranged”, Bastar range inspector general of police Vivek Sinha said.

This would be the first visit of an Indian Prime to Bijapur district and the second visit to Bastar by Modi.

Mr Modi had last year visited south Bastar district of Dantewada.

Union health minister J P Nadda has been given charge of overseeing the PM’s programmes in the area.

The PM was scheduled to arrive from Delhi by an Indian Air Force plane at Jagdalpur, headquarters of Bastar at around 11.30 in the morning on Friday.