Puri: Rapid Action Force (RAF) personnel along with Puri police today conducted a security mock drill for the upcoming annual Rath Yatra of Lord Jagannath.
“106 Battalion of Rapid Action Force (RAF) from Jamshedpur has come here for familiarisation exercise for the Rath Yatra. Familiarisation exercise means basically what will be our deployment during Rath Yatra. What will be our role,” said an officer of the RAF.
The officer said that RAF is deployed in the main cordon which is around the chariots of the deities.
“Our job is to give protect the chariots from all sides so that the crowd is prevented from reaching there and a stampede is avoided. Though RAF is deployed for preventing riots, here we will be deployed for crowd control so that devotees of Mahaprabhu are safe and ensure that no one is killed in a stampede,” the RAF officer said.
Puri Superintendent of Police Kanwar Vishal Singh has informed that preparations are in full swing for the Rath Yatra of Mahaprabhu.
“Our preparations are being continuously reviewed by the DGP, ADGP Law & Order and IG. It is our multi-pronged preparation. As part of that two platoons of RAF have come here for area familiarisation exercise,” said Singh.
