NSG commandos to be deployed during Kumbh Mela in Haridwar

Commandos of the National Security Guard (NSG) will be deployed in Haridwar during the Kumbh Mela, Uttarakhand police announced on Wednesday.

The announcement came after Major General VS Ranade, NSG (IG Operations) met Uttarakhand Police Commissioner Ashok Kumar and discussed the deployment of NSG.

Ashok Kumar said that "to take action against the anti-national elements, two NSG teams will be deployed during Kumbh Mela. The NSG teams will also train our Anti-Terrorist Squad, he said."

Meanwhile, Uttarakhand High Court has asked the state government to present before it a plan concerning crowd control and other arrangements related to Kumbh Mela in Haridwar in view of COVID-19 pandemic.

The court asked the state government to present the plan on January 13 and asked Chief Secretary, Health Secretary, District Magistrate of Haridwar and Kumbh Mela Officer to be present in the court.

State Urban Development Minister Madan Kaushik had said last month that the Kumbh Mela will be held for 48 days in Haridwar instead of three-and-a-half months due to the pandemic.

( With inputs from ANI )