Tight security for President’s visit to Tirupati

Tight security arrangements are made in the temple city of Tirupati ahead of the visit of Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapaksa who will be on a two-day pilgrimage starting Tuesday.

According to Collector Siddharth Jain, the special flight carrying Mr. Rajapaksa and his entourage will be flying into the Renigunta airport at 4.30 pm, from where he will reach Tirumala hills by road. After offering prayers late in the evening and again participating in the pre-dawn ritual on Wednesday, he will motor down the hills by 8.15 am, reach airport by 9.30 am and fly back to Colombo.

Sleuths led by Superintendent of Police (Tirupati Urban) Gopinath Jatti sterilised the airport and Tirumala temple vicinity on Monday, ahead of the visit of the VVIP. He also discussed issues pertaining to protective cover with Sri Lankan security officials. A trial run of the convoy was taken up from the airport to the city.

The police department is doubly cautious this time, as Tamils managed to reach Tirupati through the porous borders to wave black flags to him during his earlier visit in February 2013, who were, however, arrested in time.

Staff Reporter from Chittoor reports: The Chittoor police deployed armed guards at the border check post between Kuppam and Krishnagiri (TN) as part of security arrangements for the scheduled visit of the Sri Lanka President. A senior police officer told The Hindu that the Kuppam-Krishnagiri border was kept under surveillance to prevent the possible entry of Tamil groups into Chittoor district. A patrol party was kept on alert to check vehicles found to be suspicious. Similarly, the district police deployed armed parties at Puttur, Nagari and Satyavedu, the Hindu reports.