New Delhi, March 18 (IANS) As India celebrates the festival of colours with traditional gaiety and enthusiasm, police in the national capital are on their toes to prevent any untoward incident and have raised a high alert in the city.
"During Holi, the footfall is high in the markets, temples, and commercial places. On such occasions, Delhi Police raises its alert. We increase our visibility, presence to counter any threat," a top official told IANS.
Also known as the festival of colours, Holi is widely celebrated signifying the triumph of good over evil. The eve of the festival is known as 'Holika Dahan (burning of demon holika)' or Chhoti Holi.
According to the police official, community policing like 'Eyes and Ears' have been activated so that locals inform the police personnel about any anti-social element in their area.
Strict security arrangements are in place in view the ongoing celebrations. "The safety of the people is our topmost priority. The police personnel have been deployed on roads & streets to intensify patrolling & checking at pickets for area dominance," the official said.
Police personnel will be seen, throughout the day and night, patrolling in all areas of the city. "Threat or no threat, we have to be always ready," another official told IANS.
Heavy presence of police could be seen in the sensitive areas of the capital to prevent any kind of hooliganism that is often done by the miscreants under the garb of the celebration.
"Safety of the women is our topmost priority," said the official.
Meanwhile, Delhi Traffic Police had earlier said that it has made adequate security arrangements for the festival to keep a tab on hooligans and drunken driving.
Joint Commissioner (Traffic) Vivek Kishore said the traffic police personnel will be deployed at all major roads and intersections. "We request you all to follow traffic rules during the Holi celebrations. Do not indulge in drunken driving and triple riding on two wheelers and riding without a helmet," he said in a video message.
In February, last year, the Union Ministry of Home Affairs had informed the Supreme Court that the Tamil Nadu Governor has recorded that the President of India is the competent authority to deal with pardon plea of A.G. Perarivalan, one of the convicts in Rajiv Gandhi assassination case.
All Indian students who were stuck in Sumy area of war-torn Ukraine have been successfully airlifted through Operation Ganga, the government said on Monday. Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Arindam Bagchi said that they had apprehensions but their mission to evacuate Indian students was successful.
The Minister was talking ahead of the session he will be chairing as part of the Regional Conference with Ministers from six states and UT of Andaman & Nicobar Islands to review the progress made under Jal Jeevan Mission and Swachh Bharat Mission-Grameen on Wednesday.
The price of crude oil in the international market has reached $117 per barrel. According to experts, if the Russia-Ukraine war continues, then crude oil prices could reach $ 185 per barrel.
"Under 'Operation Ganga' to rescue Indian citizens, 1,314 Indians have been airlifted today by seven special civilian flights from Ukraine's neighbouring countries. With this, more than 17,400 Indians have been brought back since the special flights began on 22nd February, 2022."
Channi also said that 997 students from the state were in Ukraine, out of whom 420 have returned, and 200 students have reached Poland and are safe but some of the people are still stuck in Ukraine.
