Britain's Prince Edward had to wait outside a sports venue as his security men didn't have proper accreditation
Britain's Prince Edward had to wait outside a sports venue as his security men didn't have proper accreditation
Not very long ago, several countries and individual athletes had threatened to pull out of the Commonwealth Games, many citing security concerns. Sunday's opening ceremony may have turned around the fortunes of the event, but the authorities can't afford to take any chances. And apparently, they aren't.
Yesterday, Earl of Wessex Prince Edward, reportedly, had to wait for 15 minutes at the Yamuna Sports Complex as his security men, provided by the Government of India, did not have proper accreditation. Sources said the Prince had been allowed to go inside, but he chose to stay with his security staff.
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Hence, Prince Edward, who had come to see the events, reportedly waited outside the venue for a few minutes until the matter was sorted out and senior police officers intervened. Sources inside the sports complex said the Prince had arrived around 10.25 am and entered the stadium only at 10.38 am.
Additional Deputy Commissioner of Police, East district, Dinesh Gupta confirmed that Prince Edward had visited the complex. He, however, denied any delay in the Prince's entry. Gupta said that a gap of a few minutes during security checks is usual.
Other 'victims'
About a week back, Union Home Minister P Chidambaram had to walk for 500 metres at the Siri Fort stadium as his driver and personal security guards didn't have proper accreditation cards. In another incident, a security official attached to an international team was detained at the entrance of Ashoka hotel on Sunday after a firearm was recovered from him during security check. The official is understood to be from the Singapore High Commission who had come to see his team housed in the hotel.
A Ministry of Home Affairs official said, "A small firearm was recovered from a person who was part of the security staff attached to a foreign team. He was carrying a diplomatic pass and was not authorised to carry any firearms."
Strict orders
All this is on expected lines, following strict guidelines by Delhi Police Chief Y S Dadwal, as far as entry into Games venues is concerned.
A senior police officer, who was part of a briefing by the CP before the Games, said on condition of anonymity, "Dadwal had instructed us that even if God comes, you should ask for his identity."
Y S Dadwal had said in one of his briefings, "Agar swayam Shri Hari bhi ayen to pehle aap unke pair ko hath lagaye, phir unhe namashkar kare aur phir puche ki kya aap apna I-card dikha sakte hai (Even if Lord Vishnu comes, seek his blessings first and then ask for his I-card)."u00a0 "We have been following instructions and we will not let anyone enter without a valid I-card," the senior police officer stated.
When asked to comment on CWG security, Home Secretary G K Pillai said, "We have taken strict measures and want the city to be as safe as possible."
Guarded response
After an incident-free CWG opening ceremony, the Union government has asked Delhi police and other state forces to stay alert during the remaining days of the sporting event.
Delhi police and paramilitary forces were asked to maintain a vigil by the Home Ministry yesterday. Around 29,000 police personnel were deployed in and around Games venues. Most of the remaining 50,000 police personnel of the 80,000-strong force were also involved in creating a security net around the city for the Games.
Union Home Minister P Chidambaram has been personally supervising Games security arrangements. On Sunday, he visited the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium before the opening ceremony. Some 7,000 athletes and officials from 71 countries and territories are in the Capital for the Games.
| Insecurity complex |
| >>Australian Prime Minister Julia Gillard had on September 23 announced that security officials will travel to Delhi for the Commonwealth Games considering the security arrangements and said it is ultimately for the athletes to decide if they want to attend the event or not. >>Acknowledging that there was "widespread concern" about security of the contestants, Gillard had said that our travel advice has made clear that there was a risk of terrorism in New Delhi and since 2000 there have been at least 14 major terrorist incidents in the city. |
29,000 number of police personnel deployed in and around Games venues
| Editor's note |
| India deals with terrorism, round the year, round the clock. It is better geared to fight terror than most countries in the world. This incident with Prince Edward just goes to prove it. Besides, terror threat looms everywhere, even over the London Olympics 2012. |
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