New Delhi: There will be unprecedented security arrangements for former Prime Minister and Bharat Ratna Atal Bihari Vajpayee’s funeral procession.

According to the police, almost 13,000 police personnel have been deployed for the funeral procession. They include traffic cops. Apart from this, the Delhi Police Prime Minister Security and VVIP security wing, para-military personnel have been roped in for a foolproof security cover. Over and above, VVIPs who have personal security cover will also be there.

Apart from the local police, para-military security force personnel will be deployed in central Delhi to control the crowd.

Vajpayee’s funeral procession will first move from his residence on Krishna Menon Marg to the BJP headquarters, which is almost 7 km.

Around 2 PM, the procession will move from the BJP headquarters on Deep Dayal Upadhya Marg to Smriti Sthal. It is expected that the procession will take about 90 min to traverse the distance of 2 km.

“Delhi Police Commissioner Amulya Patnaik has asked ACPs and inspectors of all districts to report to the central district for the bandobast of the procession. All VVIPs from across the nation have already arrived. We have asked their security staff to update the control room so that a clear passage can be given to them,” a special CP rank official told MyNation.

A major challenge for the local police will be traffic management as the procession will cross Delhi’s lifeline, Ring Road. The traffic police have advised motorists to avoid central Delhi after 2 PM to avoid any inconvenience.

Two or three metro stations will be closed for reasons of security for at least an hour when Vajpayee’s funeral procession moves from the BJP headquarters on Deen Dayal Upadhyaya Marg to Smriti Sthal near Rajghat.

Smriti Sthal is a memorial site that was proposed after concerns were raised over the shrinking availability of land for building more memorials. It has an elevated platform to perform the last rites of a leader. Before Vajpayee, former prime minister IK Gujral was cremated at the Smriti Sthal in December 2012.