GUWAHATI, Feb 20 � As the Bharatiya Janata Party�s Prime Ministerial candidate Narendra Modi is considered the prime target of the jehadi groups, the Central Government has alerted the Assam Police to take adequate precautionary steps to ensure maintenance of law and order at his rally to be held in Silchar on February 22.
Highly placed sources in the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) told The Assam Tribune that Modi�s proposed rally in Silchar is viewed more seriously from the security point of view because of the closeness of the area to the international border with Bangladesh, where some jehadi groups have strong bases.
Sources said that the recent arrests of members of Indian Mujaheedin (IM) and Lasker-e-Toiba (LeT) revealed that both the outfits along with other such groups consider Modi as their prime target and a general alert is given to all the states where the BJP leader is holding rallies. In case of the proposed Silchar rally, extra precautions are taken in view of the location of the area. However, sources said that so far no specific input on possibility of any such element planning to create disturbances in the area has been received.
MHA sources further pointed out that the IM was involved in serial blasts in Patna just before Modi's rally. Though one blast took place just before Modi's rally in Imphal, it was found that Manipur-based militant group PLA was involved in the same and the reason for the blast is not yet known.
Meanwhile, when contacted, the DIG (Southern Range) of Assam Police, B Kumar admitted that the Assam Police received an alert from the Central Government and adequate precautionary measures have been taken.
Kumar revealed that the Assam Police had meetings with senior officers of the Border Security Force (BSF) and requested them to increase vigil along the border with Bangladesh to prevent any anti-India element from sneaking into India from the neighbouring country. He said that more personnel have been deployed in the posts of the second line of defence of the Assam Police.
The DIG said that efforts are on to improve intelligence gathering, particularly in the villages located along the international border as any foreign element who manages to enter the country would have to take shelter in some village before fanning out to other parts.
The Assam Police has also requested the volunteers of the BJP to keep a close watch on the crowd during the rally.
