Security up for Modi in Uttar Pradesh

Amid mounting security concerns, door-frame metal detectors will come up at all entry points at the Bahraich ground in Uttar Pradesh where BJP leader Narendra Modi will address a rally Friday.

After a string of bomb blasts at Modi's Patna rally left seven people dead, security agencies here are taking no chances.

Officials said the rally ground had been declared out of bounds for people barring Bharatiya Janata Party leaders and activists with "valid identification".

The Gujarat Police is camping in the district and holding liaison drills with their Uttar Pradesh counterparts.

The security forces have decided to check the ground for hidden or buried explosives.

The police, an official told IANS, was "specially alert" as Bharaich district borders Nepal, where Indian militant groups are known to have operational bases.

A bullet proof enclosure was installed at the earlier Kanpur rally in Uttar Pradesh but was removed hastily after Modi said he would not address a meeting from behind it.

Admitting a security upgrade for Modi, Uttar Pradesh BJP spokesman Vijay Bahadur Pathak said Modi's larger security was the responsibility of police and other security agencies.