Spick And Span Security Chokes Many Capital Arteries

Security Cover to the President of the United States of America left traffic in the Capital in doldrums.

Between 8 and 9 p.m this evening, soon after Air Force One touched ground at the Palam technical area traffic in and around several parts of the capital were cut off.

Movement of vehicles around Dhaula Kuan, Sardar Patel Marg, Wellington Crescent Road, Chanakyapuri and Ring Road were stopped for the cavalcade to pass through. The worst affected stretch were the Raja Garden to Ashram route, along with Ring road, mainly due to the lack of diversions along this route.

The snarls came despite assurances from the traffic department that traffic would not be affected for than five-minutes at the most during the VVIP movement. This security provided for the visit was of an unprecedented level.

 

Sharpshooters of Delhi police along with crack commandos of paramilitary forces were deployed all along the route from the Palam technical area to the Maurya Sheraton hotel, where Mr Clinton and his entourage are staying.

As soon as Air Force One touched ground, chief of protocol Manbir Singh escorted Clinton, daughter Chelsea and mother-in-law Lorothy to the bullet-proof Presidential Limousine specially flown in from Washington. Personnel of the elite US marines in civil dress maintained a hawk's eye on all movements.

The presidential entourage was preceded and followed by a cavalcade of vehicles, carrying commandos onboard who were armed to the teeth, with sub-machine guns and other automatic weapons.

The entire route as also the hotel were sanitised by anti-sabotage teams and traffic along the route was blocked. Five US spy satellites orbiting the skies kept a vigil on the President's movements as officials flashed messages on a hi-tech communication network.

Maurya resembled an impregnable fortress with security personnel positioned all around the sprawling hotel complex.