The Delhi Police has stated that it will beef up security measures in view of certain terrorist organisations issuing threats of carrying out attacks on January 26.
The police also said on Sunday that posters of wanted terrorists have been put up across the city. It has received inputs that terror outfits like Khalistani outfits & Al-Qaeda may carry out 'unwanted activities'.
“We’ve inputs that some terrorist organisations including Khalistani outfits & Al-Qaeda may carry out unwanted activities (on Jan 26). Keeping this in mind, we have taken a few steps including putting up posters of wanted terrorists,” said Siddharth Jain, ACP Connaught Place, Delhi.
Meanwhile, Delhi Police has also decided to reduce the strength of the gathering at the Republic Day parade due to the COVID-19 pandemic. This year roughly 25,000 people will be allowed to attend the parade in comparison to 1.5 lakh people who attended last year.
Due to the COVID pandemic, no foreign guest will be present at India's Republic Day parade, something that has been one of the highlights of the annual event celebrating the country's diversity at the heart of Delhi.
India had extended an invite to UK PM Boris Johnson to be the guest at the Republic day who had accepted and confirmed that he would be coming. But earlier this month he had informed the Indian PM of his inability to come due to the new strain of covid virus that had emerged in the UK.
This is the 4th time in history that no foreign guest will be present on Republic Day. The last time it had happened was in the year 1966, and before that in 1953 and 1952.
Delhi Police has also issued a traffic advisory ahead of Republic Day Parade rehearsals.
The full dress rehearsals will take place on January 23 and the final parade on January 26, for which a separate advisory will be issued.
