New Delhi, July 20 (IANS) Delhi's iconic Red Fort will be shut for the public from July 21 till Independence Day celebrations on August 15 are over, the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) said on Tuesday.
"In exercise of the powers conferred under Rule 6 of the Ancient Monuments and Archaeological Sites and Remains Rules, 1959, the Director General, Archaeological Survey of India hereby direct that there shall be no entry inside the Red Fort from the morning of 21st July, 2021 to 15th August, 2021 till the Independence Day celebration is over," ASI order stated.
It came after the Delhi Police in a letter on July 12 had suggested that the Red Fort be shut from July 15 in view of the Covid pandemic and security reasons.
Delhi Police has already beefed up security in the capital, including near its three borders at Singhu, Tikri and Ghazipur, in view of the Monsoon Session of Parliament that commenced on Monday and run up to the Independence Day.
Delhi Police Commissioner Balaji Srivastava had conducted a citywide patrol on Sunday night with over 30,000 police personnel.
Stressing on the need for vigil and alertness on the part of every staff on duty in the capital, Srivastava had asked all police personnel to remain prepared 24x7, saying, "Delhi Police have been entrusted with public trust to keep the capital safe and secure. The city never sleeps, neither do we."
The men accused of killing three men in Palghar have been arrested and are in jail. Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray said on he has spoken to Union home minister Amit Shah and assured him that he would look into the case. More than 100 people are in custody. The attack took place at a spot close to Mumbai.
Covid-19 death toll has reached 507 deaths in India while confirmed cases surpassed 15,000. On Sunday 44 new cases of the novel coronavirus were reported in Rajasthan, while in Agra 45 more cases were confirmed. In Lucknow, 43 more people tested positive for the virus.
Tablighi Jamaat, the global organisation of Islamic missionaries, which may be the biggest carrier of Covid-19 infection in India, has had a long history of ties with Pakistan-based banned terror outfits like Harkat-ul-Mujahideen.
Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh on Tuesday ordered withdrawal of 1,300 policemen from the VIP duties, including from his own security, and their deployment in the battle against the coronavirus.
A religious congregation of 2000 people at a mosque in Delhi's Nizamuddin area which has thrown up several corona positive cases is a ticking time bomb as six of the persons who returned to Telangana have died from the virus and positive cases
