Saturday, 25 Vaishakh is the 165th birth anniversary of poet Rabindranath Tagore. At 11:00 am, at the Brigade Parade Ground in Kolkata, BJP legislature party leader – Suvendu Adhikari – will take oath as the first BJP Chief Minister of West Bengal. A glimpse of Bengali culture will be seen in the swearing-in ceremony. This is the first time that a BJP government is being formed in Bengal, and it is also the first time that the swearing-in ceremony is being held at the Brigade Parade Ground. Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah will be present at the swearing-in ceremony to be held at the Brigade Parade Ground on Saturday. It is expected that Chief Ministers of 21 states ruled by BJP and NDA will attend the event. Apart from this, a large number of BJP MPs, MLAs and party workers are also expected to be present. As is customary, tight security arrangements will be in place in large parts of the state capital, including the Brigade Ground area.
Tight security for swearing in ceremony
For security reasons, the police has divided the Brigade Parade Ground into about 35 sectors. Several sectors will be merged into one block, and the sole in-charge of security for that particular block will be an IPS rank officer. Kolkata Police Commissioner Ajay Nanda himself will monitor the entire security operation. VVIPs—that is, very special people—will sit in the starting block of the ground. The number of VVIPs is estimated to be around 40, and security will be extremely tight in this particular area. According to Kolkata Police sources, apart from VVIPs and invited guests, a large number of BJP supporters are also expected to attend the swearing-in ceremony. The number of BJP supporters is estimated to be in lakhs.
Traffic control and drone surveillance in Kolkata
According to police sources, surveillance will be maintained from high-rise buildings around the Brigade Parade Ground on Saturday. Drones will be deployed across the city – outside the brigade area – to keep an eye on the safety and security of VVIPs.
Meanwhile, traffic restrictions will be imposed across the city on Saturday. Movement of vehicles carrying goods will be restricted from 4:00 am to 8:00 pm. However, emergency services will be exempted from these restrictions. For example, vehicles carrying LPG cylinders, CNG, petroleum products, oils, lubricants, oxygen, vegetables, medicines, fish, fruits and milk will be allowed to ply. Parking will not be allowed on the roads adjacent to Victoria Memorial Hall. Depending on the prevailing situation, additional restrictions may be imposed on traffic movement within the city on Saturday.