Yogi Adityanath orders high alert across Uttar Pradesh after Red Fort blast

Lucknow: Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Monday ordered the police to remain on high alert in the wake of a blast at Red Fort that killed at least eight and wounded several.

The chief minister sought details of the incident from Director General of Police (DGP) Rajeev Krishna, an official statement issued here said.

Krishna issued a series of instructions to district police chiefs, asking them to stay on the ground and personally supervise security at sensitive and crowded areas.

Quick Response Teams (QRT), Anti-Terrorist Squad (ATS), bomb disposal squads, and dog squads have been kept on standby, while foot patrol has been intensified, he said.

Police have been told to ensure strict checking of vehicles and keep a vigilant eye at metro stations, bus stands, railway stations, malls, and cinemas without causing inconvenience to the public, the DGP said in his directive.

Real-time analysis of CCTV feeds and active engagement of intelligence and local information networks have been ordered to ensure prompt reporting of any suspicious persons or activities.

In Ayodhya, Inspector General Praveen Kumar took to street checking vehicles. In Varanasi too, police teams patrolled crowded areas, including Kashi Vishwanath temple, the railway station, and Sankat Mochan temple, officials said. The police in Lucknow were seen in alert mode with senior officers on the ground.

Ghaziabad Additional Commissioner of Police (Law and Order) Alok Priyadarshi told PTI that security had been beefed up at railway stations, bus stands, metro stations, and malls.

Police carried out searches of people's luggage, and vehicles parked near Muradnagar ordnance factory, Central electronics limited, Bharat electronics limited, Hindan airport and airforce station in Trans Hindan area, he said.