The central government has reportedly asked Director Generals of states, union territories and paramilitary forces to amp up the security of “high-risk dignitaries”, particularly during rallies, corner meetings, and roadshows. According to reports, the recent assassination attempt on former United States president Donald Trump and six other such bids against global leaders have prompted the central government to take the security-related measure.
Former US president Donald Trump received a gunshot wound in his right ear after a 20-year-old gunman fired multiple shots at Trump, 78, at a campaign rally in Pennsylvania on July 13. Moments after he was shot at Pennsylvania, the Republican Party's presumptive presidential candidate in the November 5 election was seen with blood on his ear and cheek as he was rushed off the stage.
The accused in the Trump assassination bid was a 20-year-old man, who fired eight rounds with an AR-15–style rifle from the roof of a building.
The incident is one of seven assassination attempts cited by the Centre in its communication shared on July 16 with the DGs, including those in charge of the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF), Central Industrial Security Force (CISF), Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP), National Security Guard (NSG) along with state intelligence bureaus, according to an Indian Express report.
“Former PM of Japan, Shinzo Abe, was fatally shot on July 8, 2022 from close quarters by an individual using a homemade shotgun, while addressing a corner public meeting. During a road march, former Pakistan PM Imran Khan was fired upon on November 3, 2022 and reportedly suffered a bullet injury. Vice-President of Argentina, Christina Fernandez, escaped an assassination bid on September 1, 2022 as a man unsuccessfully tried to fire a loaded pistol close to her head,” the report quoted as saying an official, who cited the communication from the Centre’s internal security division.
“During an election campaign speech of former PM of Japan, Fumio Kishida, on April 15, 2023, a youth hurled a smoke bomb towards him from within the crowd. Fernando Villavicencio, one of the candidates for the Presidency of Ecuador, was shot dead on August 9 last year as he rode a police pick-up vehicle after a public rally. Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico suffered life-threatening injuries when he was shot and wounded in an attempted assassination on May 15 this year during a public event,” said the official.
Citing the incidents, the note said high-risk dignitaries are vulnerable to various threats during public interfaces, including rallies, corner meetings, and roadshows.
The official cited three main points - physical security measures, technical surveillance, and contingency drills and role of personal security officers - identified in the communication.
