Lucknow/New Delhi. Security agencies in Uttar Pradesh are on high alert after a massive blast in an Echo van near Delhi’s Red Fort on Sunday evening. On the instructions of Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, red alert has been issued in the entire state including Ayodhya, Kashi, Mathura, Meerut, Prayagraj.
Police officers themselves have landed at ground zero and started intensive checking. Extensive arrangements have been made for border blockade, drone surveillance and security at religious places.
So far, 10 people have been confirmed dead and 24 injured in the Delhi blast. The explosion was so powerful that the surrounding walls cracked and five to six vehicles were completely destroyed. NIA and Delhi Police Special Cell have reached the spot and are engaged in investigation. In the initial investigation it is being said that it was a high intensity blast.
After the information about the blast, security has been increased in all the major districts of UP. In Prayagraj, Varanasi, Ayodhya, Mathura, Meerut, Muzaffarnagar, Noida, Ghaziabad, Lucknow and Kanpur, police captains and DMs themselves took to the streets. Intensive checking continued till late night at Subhash intersection in Prayagraj. The trunk, boot and luggage of the passengers of the vehicles were searched. Barriers and additional forces have been deployed on the borders.
Special precautions are being taken regarding security in religious cities – Ayodhya, Kashi and Mathura.
Additional security forces have been deployed around the Ram Janmabhoomi complex in Ayodhya.
Drone cameras are being monitored in Varanasi so that any suspicious activity can be detected immediately.
Intensive checking campaign is going on in Yamuna Expressway and Krishna Janmabhoomi Temple area in Mathura.
Police have adopted red alert mode in Meerut, Ghaziabad, Noida and Saharanpur adjacent to Delhi. Strict checking of vehicles and passengers is being done by blocking the borders. Review of CCTV footage is underway in Noida, while additional forces are deployed in malls, metro station and corporate hub Sector-62. In Meerut, police have intensified patrolling from Ghantaghar to Circuit House and in Ghaziabad, police marched on foot in sensitive areas throughout the night.
The state government has instructed all the districts to be prepared to deal with any situation at religious places, transport centers and public places.