Modi said no to bullet-proof glass enclosure

Breaking from the past, Prime Minister Narendra Modi Friday delivered his Independence Day speech from the ramparts of the Red Fort minus the usual bullet-proof glass enclosure.

As the prime minister spoke for over an hour, the entire area around the Red Fort was placed under tight security cover by his Special Protection Group (SPG).

A senior SPG official, on condition of anonymity, told IANS: "We were informed that the prime minister will deliver his speech without the bullet-proof glass enclosure. It was a challenge for us, but our officials handled the situation."

The official said he was unaware about the reason why the prime minister chose to deliver his maiden Independence Day speech without the bullet-proof glass enclosure despite security threats.

"It may be possible that the prime minister wanted to address the people freely for which he did not approve of the bullet-proof glass enclosure," he said.

According to the official, the practice of using the bullet-proof glass enclosure began around 1985-86.

"After Indira Gandhi's assassination, Modi is the first prime minister to deliver his Independence Day speech from the Red Fort without bullet-proof glass enclosure," said the official.