India on guard for Republic Day terrorists
Thousands of troops and police patrolled New Delhi today, guarding against terrorist threats during the annual Republic Day parade to display India’s military might.
On the eve of the parade, police arrested three suspected terrorists in the capital and recovered a large cache of arms and explosives.
Police said the arrested men, members of Lashkar-e Tayyaba, a Pakistan-based Islamic guerrilla group waging a separatist insurgency in Kashmir, had plans to create trouble during the parade.
Security forces were also put on alert in insurgency-hit north-eastern states and in Indian-controlled Kashmir, where separatist rebels called for a boycott of the celebration marking the adoption of the Indian constitution 53 years ago.
In New Delhi, President APJ Abdul Kalam saluted to start the parade down the Rajpath, or King’s Way, where tens of thousands of spectators gathered for the three hour procession.
After gaining independence from British colonial rulers in 1947, India adopted its constitution and became a republic on January 26, 1950.
The highlight of Monday’s parade was a bristling display of India’s latest military weapons such as the nuclear-capable Agni-II long-range missile, unmanned target aircraft, light combat helicopters and transportable satellite terminals.
