Massive security for R-Day celebration: no specific threat, joint patrolling in entire border areas, DGP

Though , the insurgency from the soil of Tripura has been vanished and the state does not received any boycott call from the Northeast based insurgent groups, like previous years, massive security arrangements have been made across Tripura for peaceful observance of 77th Republic Day on Monday , commemorating the adoption of its Constitution in 1950.

Speaking with Northeast Colors, Director General of Police (DGP), Anurag said that while, no specific security threat for Tripura has been issued, but the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) imposed an alert in the wake of some fundamentalist activities in neighbouring Bangladesh with special deployment para-military forces in some parts of the state.

DGP  said that MHA’s alert has been sounded for the entire nation, particularly for all bordering states of the country including for all Northeastern states is a regular process for peaceful celebration of Republic Day and Tripura police along with BSF have already started join patrolling in entire stretch of Indo-Bangla border.

However, he said that security has been tightened across Tripura before the celebration of the 77^th Republic Day on January 26. Security was also tightened near the residence of VIPs, Raj Bhavan, Civil Secretariat, Assembly House and patrolling was intensified in the remote and hilly areas of the state by deploying Tripura State Rifles (TSR) and other central paramilitary forces.

The state police have already discussed security measures with all top officers of Central Arms Police Forces (CAPF) to enhance the security measures across the state, said DGP adding that regular special operations are being launched in the interior areas by police, TSR and other security forces.

He added that as of now, there are no presences of any group of banned extremists in the interior parts of the state and there are no Tripura based armed extremists in other side of the international border.

Anurag   also said that though no specific threat was sounded from MHA, but as per normal intelligent alert, after unrest in neighbouring Bangladesh, the BSF has intensified its vigil along the 856-km long international border with Bangladesh with Tripura police and asked to maintain highest vigil in the entire stretch of Indo-Bangla border during the celebration of Republic Day.

The security forces deployed in Tripura specially BSF, CRPF, TSR and Assam Rifles (AR) were put on maximum alert by the Tripura police headquarters and the border patrolling has also been increased in the unfenced border areas and some vulnerable spots in the Indo-Bangla border.

As part of security arrangements all interior police stations are now conducting raids in once militancy infested areas and the Road Opening Party (ROP) are conducting their regular checking in all important roads of the state including highways. The Railway Protection Force (RPF) along with other security forces are also continuously monitoring the entire railway tracks from Dharmanagar to Sabroom with special check-ups in all railway stations. Checking vehicles in highways and other important roads of the state is going on including all ‘Naka’ points.

All the urban police stations of the state have also been conducting search operations in all busy market places, rail stations, bus stands, airport and hotels. Police also pressed into action dog and bomb squads in Agartala and other places of the state that would continue up to peaceful observance of Republic Day. Apart from these, all the police supers of all eight districts of the state have also been monitoring the security scenario.

Police sources added that all the venues of the Republic Day celebration will be scrutinized with dog and bomb squads before the final programme and after security clearance maximum number of security forces would be deployed till observance of R-Day.