Security has been significantly heightened across Delhi ahead of the 80th Independence Day celebrations on August 15, with thousands of security personnel deployed around the Red Fort, extensive traffic restrictions imposed, more than 20,000 people screened and verified, and five locations in the national Capital receiving bomb threat calls.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi is scheduled to address the nation from the ramparts of the Red Fort on Saturday, with a large number of VIP guests expected to attend the ceremony.
DCP, Traffic, Central Range, Nishant Gupta said special traffic arrangements have been put in place around the Red Fort. Roads including Netaji Subhash Marg, Lothian Road, Nishadraj Marg, Shyama Prasad Mukherjee Marg, Esplanade Road, Qila Ghat Road and Ring Road/Moat Road will remain restricted for general traffic from 4 a.m. to 11 a.m. on August 15.
Heavy vehicles will not be allowed on Delhi roads from 10 p.m. on August 14 until 11 a.m. on August 15. DTC and other buses will also not operate on the affected routes during this period, with diversions and termination points shifted to Ramlila Maidan and Tees Hazari Court.
Gupta said designated parking locations for invited guests have been integrated with Google Maps, while people have been advised to follow the Delhi Traffic Police's official X account for updates.
Traffic restrictions around the Red Fort and Chandni Chowk will remain in force from 4 a.m. to 11 a.m., although shops, markets and shopping malls will remain open.
Meanwhile, DCP, Central, Rohit Rajbir Singh said extensive security arrangements have been made in and around the Red Fort, one of the most sensitive locations during Independence Day celebrations. Delhi Police personnel, along with forces from other agencies, have been deployed, while technological measures, including upgraded anti-drone systems, have been introduced.
More than 20,000 people living or working in and around the sensitive zone have also been screened and verified as part of the security exercise. Authorities said precautionary measures have been taken against people suspected of involvement in criminal activities.
The heightened security comes after five locations in Delhi received bomb threat calls on Friday, a day before Independence Day. According to the Delhi Fire Service, the locations were Jamnagar House, Jhandewalan Flatted Factory Complex, the District Magistrate's Office in Saket, Terminal 3 of Indira Gandhi International Airport and the SDM Office at Delhi Cantt.
Fire tenders were dispatched to all five locations, but officials said nothing suspicious had been found during the investigations so far.
The latest threats come after an email sent to the Delhi Mayor's office on August 3 threatened multiple bomb blasts at the Red Fort on August 15. The alert prompted Delhi Police, bomb disposal squads and other security teams to conduct extensive sanitisation and inspection of the area.
Earlier, on July 11, a bomb threat targeting the Red Fort had also triggered a major security operation. The threat, which originated from a phone call made to the Mumbai Police Control Room, was subsequently relayed to Delhi Police. After a comprehensive search, no suspicious object or explosive material was found and the threat was declared a hoax.
Security measures have also been intensified in other parts of the country. In Assam's Dibrugarh, police and CRPF personnel conducted a special motorcycle rally ahead of the Independence Day celebrations, while in Jammu and Kashmir, security has been tightened along the Narbal-Gulmarg Highway, with vehicles and passengers being subjected to strict checks at multiple checkpoints.
With Prime Minister Modi set to address the nation from the Red Fort, authorities have imposed extensive security and movement restrictions across the capital to ensure the smooth and secure conduct of the Independence Day celebrations.
