A day ahead of the arrival of Pakistan President Pervez Musharraf in New Delhi, security agencies on Friday took control of the place of his stay and the venues the VVIP will visit.
Ferozeshah Kotla cricket ground, the venue of the April 17 Indo-Pak one-day cricket match to be watched by Musharraf and Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, was swarming with police personnel on Friday.
Complete coverage: Cricket and Kashmir
Security had also been tightened at Taj Hotel, where the Pakistan president and his delegation will stay.
Security agencies have started sanitising both the cricket ground and the hotel.
Musharraf will stay in a suite on the ninth floor of the hotel. Seventy rooms have been booked for his entourage.
Though security in the hotel in the form of plain clothes security personnel is very tight, it is quite unobtrusive as far as other guests are concerned.
Snipers and commando units will soon take up positions on the hotel's roof and roads leading to the hotel may be sealed, police sources said.
Inside, the hotel staff is busy in preparations to make Musharraf's stay a memorable one.
Chefs, who have done considerable research to find out about Musharraf's preferences, said a variety of kebabs,
kormas and breads will be spread out for the special guests.
For the president, who likes Kashmiri food, rogan josh, gushtaaba, rista and tabak maaz will be on the menu.
As he is also known to have a sweet tooth, a number of sweetmeats, mostly belonging to the Indian sub-continent, will also be prepared, the chefs said.
Security personnel have made arrangements for the Pakistan president's visit to Kotla stadium in a manner that does not cause inconvenience to cricket fans.
A helipad has been prepared at the Ambedkar Stadium, adjacent to the Kotla stadium, which may be used to take the
high-profile spectator to the venue.
© 2024 Rediff.com -