After the security fiasco in Punjab last month, the Central and Telangana agencies laid special focus for a safe and successful tour of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
PM Modi was in Hyderabad on Saturday for around seven hours, first kickstarting the golden jubilee celebrations of the International Crop Research Institute for Semi Arid Tropics (ICRISAT) and later to inaugurate the 216 feet Sri Ramanujacharya statue at Muchintal near the city.
Modi was in the Sri Ramanujacharya Samata Kendram temple complex for close to four hours. He went around the premises that included 108 small shrines, watched a laser show and also took part in the ongoing maha-yagnam conducted by 5,000 rutviks.
State DGP Mahender Reddy along with chief secretary Somesh Kumar and other top cops examined the security arrangements at the Statue of Equality on Friday. Reddy reportedly said that about 8,000 cops are being deployed for a fool proof security arrangement.
ICRISAT, Muchintal where the Sri Ramanujacharya complex is and the nearby Hyderabad international airport were reportedly divided into three sectors, with rounds of dog, bomb squad inspections.
In what is seen as a major security lapse, on January 5, Modi's convoy was held up for about 20 minutes on a flyover in Punjab's Ferozepur due to a protest ahead by farmers. While the Punjab government and police were blamed for the omission, the MHA viewed the matter seriously and initiated a probe. The matter was also reviewed by the Supreme Court.
However, most of the traveling Modi did in Telangana on Saturday was by air, flying in a Mi-17 helicopter from the airport to ICRISAT and then to Muchintal.
“Sri Ramanujacharya statue will inspire many generations to come. It will glorify our Indian cultural heritage,” Modi said after dedicating the humongous statue to the world.
The PM said that Ramanuja's equality spirit professed a thousand years back provided inspiration for the Constitution.
Watch latest videos by DH here: