NEW DELHI: India reassured yesterday that all countries involved in next year’s Commonwealth Games in New Delhi were satisfied with the security arrangements.The comments came after a report in Britain’s Daily Telegraph newspaper — since denied by English sports authorities — that England was mulling pulling out due to fears of attacks by Pakistani militants in New Delhi. The report rekindled concern about security in India, which has seen a host of militant attacks in recent years, most notably an assault on Mumbai last year that left 166 people dead.
“The security commanders meeting was held at the home ministry recently and all Commonwealth Games Associations were satisfied with the security arrangements,” top Games official Suresh Kalmadi said in a statement.
The 70,000-member Delhi Police, which is responsible for providing overall security, said it had already briefed the organisers of the Oct 3-14 event, which involves 6,000 international athletes competing in 17 sports.
“Delhi police has shared all inputs on security for the Games with all concerned agencies and committees and they have expressed satisfaction with our arrangements,” Delhi police spokesman Rajan Bhagat said.
Bhagat said Britain’s Metropolitan Police Commissioner Paul Stephenson had visited New Delhi earlier this month to inspect the Games sites, but denied a claim in the newspaper report that he had voiced “serious concerns” over security.
“Commissioner Stephenson also met us and we shared all the details with him and he said he was quite satisfied with the security arrangements that we have made,” Bhagat told AFP.
Besides police, India would also deploy thousands of paramilitary troopers, intelligence services personnel and bring in reinforcements from adjoining states if necessary for the event, a top police source added. — AFP