ITBP dog unit to ensure safety during Republic Day

New Delhi: In order to prevent any terror attack during the Republic Day parade, the Delhi police has requisitioned ITBP’s elite “crack K-9 dog unit” to sanitise the majestic Rajpath in the national capital. Code named “Operation Lovely Roses”, this is the first occasion when the ITBP’s elite sniffer dog squad, along with other security agencies, will sanitise the entire five-km-long parade route.

Following intelligence inputs that the Republic Day parade was facing the highest ever security threat from Pakistan-based terror outfits like LeT, the Delhi police reportedly  requested the ITBP to press into service its elite dog squad to ensure that the parade area is properly sanitised to avert any terror attack.

At a recent high-level meeting, various agencies discussed thread-bare security apparatus which would be put in place for the coming parade. “All terror inputs have been collated, analysed and scrutinised under a fine toothed comb,” a senior officer told this newspaper.

Sources said that the city police, along with other agencies, will keep a tight watch on the entire 5-km route, which will set out from Raisina Hill near Rashtrapati Bhavan, and follow Rajpath past India Gate and culminate at Red Fort. Even Metro services will be partially disrupted due to heavy security arrangements.

The tight security arrangements will affect Metro’s Line 2 (Huda City Centre-Jahangirpuri), Line 3 (Noida City Centre–Dwarka Sector 21), Line 4 (Yamuna Bank-Vaishali) and Line 6 (Central Secretari-at–Badarpur).The Metro train schedules will be modified and some stations will remain closed. In addition, all Metro parking lots will be closed from 2 pm on January 25 to 2 pm on January 26.