New Delhi, Oct 4 (IANS) After an incident-free Commonwealth Games (CWG) opening ceremony, the central government has asked Delhi Police and other state forces not to lower their guard during the remaining days of the sporting event, an official said Monday.
‘Well begun may be half-done. But we don’t want to lower the guard,’ said a senior official connected with CWG security.
Delhi police and paramilitary forces have been asked to maintain vigil, he said.
Around 29,000 police personnel were deployed in and around Games venues, Delhi police chief Y.S. Dadwal had said recently.
Most of the remaining 50,000 police personnel of the 80,000-strong force were also involved in throwing a security net around the city for the Games, sources said.
Meanwhile, the ministry has told all states to continue the vigil. Markets, railway stations, bus stations and hotels and locations frequented by foreigners have been mentioned for special vigil, the official said.
Delhi Police spokesman Rajan Bhagat thanked the public for the co-operation they extended to make Sunday’s inauguration ceremony a success. ‘Some delays, some inconveniences are natural in a big event,’ he said.
Union Home Minister P. Chidambaram has been personally supervising the Games security arrangements. On Sunday, he visited the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium before the Games’ opening.
Some 7,000 athletes and officials from 71 countries and territories are in the capital for the Games, India’s biggest sporting event since the 1982 Asian Games.
