Kolkata, April 5 (IANS) In the wake of intelligence alerts warning of possible tensions during Ram Navami celebrations in parts of West Bengal, the state and Kolkata police have decided to bring every procession under comprehensive camera surveillance on Sunday.
To bolster monitoring, additional CCTV cameras have been installed along key procession routes in the state.
Furthermore, police personnel deployed for security will be equipped with body cameras to ensure transparent documentation of events.
“In the event of any disturbance, identifying the instigators and perpetrators is our top priority,” said a senior state police official.
“With enhanced video coverage this time, it will be significantly easier to pinpoint those responsible for inciting or engaging in violence,” the official said.
In Kolkata, drone surveillance will supplement ground-level monitoring. All officers and personnel deployed along the routes have been advised to wear adequate protective gear.
The state police have identified 10 particularly sensitive areas across Bengal. District police superintendents and commissioners of the respective police Commissionerate have been instructed to implement heightened security arrangements in these areas.
To reinforce security in these high-risk areas, 29 senior Indian Police Service (IPS) officers have been deployed. In addition to uniformed forces, a substantial number of plainclothes officers will also be present during the processions.
All lanes and bylanes adjacent to procession routes will be thoroughly sanitized before the events begin.
Earlier in the day on Saturday, West Bengal BJP president and Union Minister of State Dr Sukanta Majumdar urged the state administration to ensure peaceful celebrations of Ram Navami.
“Crores of Hindus will be celebrating Ram Navami on Sunday. The festival has been observed in Bengal for thousands of years, just as it is across the country. Any attempt to disrupt these celebrations must be thwarted at all costs,” Majumdar said.
–IANS
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