BJP yatras to get govt protection

Delhi High Court refuses to stay yatras.

The Centre is making all efforts to ensure safety of Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leaders LK Advani and Rajnath Singh during their national integration yatras from April 6 in the wake of intelligence reports that terrorists organisations might cause them harm.

"There is definite information that international terrorists and anti-social elements can cause harm to them. All efforts will be made to ensure the security of the yatras," Home Secretary VK Duggal told reporters here today.

"The governments of all the states, through which the yatras will pass, have been sensitised about efforts that can be made by extremists," he said. The BJP had been asked to provide detailed schedules of the yatras, expected to end on May 10, he added.

Asked whether bullet proofing of vehicles carrying Advani and Singh would be done, Duggal said, "All steps will be taken to ensure their safety and security." "Such steps (bullet proofing) can be done by the NSG in 24 hours," the home secretary added,

Duggal said the states had been asked to step up vigil. "We took a fresh look today with regard to the proposed yatras," the home secretary said referring to a meeting which was attended by Intelligence Bureau chief ESL Narasimhan, CRPF DG JK Sinha, senior home ministry officials and chief secretaries and DGPs of 13 Naxalite-affected states.

Replying to questions, he said, "safety and security aspects" relating to the yatras were being given top priority by the Centre and its security agencies.

Meanwhile, the Delhi High Court today gave a green signal to the yatras. A Division Bench headed by Justice MK Sharma said the court could not curtail the fundamental rights of the leaders on the ground that the yatras might create law and order problem and communal tension.

It was the state's responsibility to maintain law and order and state governments should make arrangements for smooth movement of the yatras, the Bench said.

Government counsel Kailash Gambhir said the court should not interfere in political rallies and yatras and the high court did not have the jurisdiction to hear the petitions as the two yatras were starting from outside Delhi.

The court pulled up the petitioners for filing frivolous pleas and forced them to withdraw. "Either you withdraw the petitions or we would impose heavy cost,"' the judges told their counsel NK Jha.

The petition, filed by the Indian National Sikh Youth Forum, had said the yatras might lead to communal tension.