SHIMLA, June 21: There is excitement as well as anxiety here as Shimla gets ready for the civic reception-cum-rally of Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee at the historic Ridge Maidan amidst tight security and police bandobast in the town. The BJP proposes to bring nearly 40,000 people to the rally and massive mobilisation is already on in upper Shimla and other areas.Vajpayee, who is currently holidaying in Manali, will fly to Shimla on Monday morning to address the rally. He will also call on President K R Narayanan, who is presently staying at the Retreat for his 15-day summer sojourn. Vajpayee will address a press conference at the Raj Bhawan before his return to Manali.
The BJP is attaching a lot of importance to the PM's Shimla visit, after he announced a Rs 100 crore financial package for the state, two days ago. Though CM Prem Kumar Dhumal maintains that the PM will be a guest of honour at the civic reception and no formal demand would be made, the state government is expecting some importantannouncement. The SPG is in touch with the local administration for arrangements regarding the PM's visit.
Since the threat perception of Vajpayee has increased after Pokharan-II, the security agencies are taking no chances, though Shimla is considered to be a safe place.
Copyright © 1998 Indian Express Newspapers (Bombay) Ltd.
