Citing the recent assassination attempt on Donald Trump during his election rally in Pennsylvania, the Indian government has reportedly issued a directive Director Generals of Police (DGPs) of states, union territories and paramilitary forces, ordering them to heighten up security measures so “high-risk dignitaries” can be kept safe, especially during rallies, corner meetings, and roadshows.

Trump, who is the Republican nominee for the 2024 US Presidential elections, was holding a rally on July 13, when a 20-year-old man fired eight rounds with an AR-15–style rifle from the roof of a building aiming at him.

Trump survived the assassination attempt and was wounded in his right ear.

What notice by the Indian govt alerting increasing security of VVIPs says?

According to a report by The Indian Express, along with Trump’s, Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led government has cited a total of seven assassination attempts of leaders in a letter shared on July 16 with the DGs, including those in-charge of the CRPF, CISF, ITBP, NSG as well as state intelligence bureaus.

Listing the incidents in the note, the government said they underline the vulnerabilities of high-risk dignitaries to various threats during public interfaces, including rallies, corner meetings, and roadshows.

Based on these, the government has emphasised on working on three main points – physical security measures, technical surveillance, and contingency drills and role of personal security officers.

Physical security measures include controlling access to the venues and thoroughly checking/frisking of men and material. “The proximate area should have only a minimum number of authorised persons and there should be no crowding around the dignitary. The venue should be put through comprehensive physical, visual and technical checks followed by deployment of security personnel. The area up to a sufficient depth around the venue should be secured and all high-rise features as well as other vantage points in the vicinity that offer a direct line of sight of the dignitary should be sanitised and dominated,” The Indian Express reported quoted an official, citing the communication, as saying.

Also, special emphasis has been given by the government on preparing for potential contingency situations. Drills should be formulated and rehearsed to provide immediate cover to the dignitary, neutralise threats swiftly, and ensure rapid evacuation to a safe location or hospital, the report said.

PSOs should maintain constant vigilance, position themselves to have a 360-degree view of the surroundings, and respond quickly to any threatening activity.

The other incidents mentioned by govt

The other incidents apart from Trump’s assassination attempt mentioned in the communication from the Centre’s internal security division included:

1 – Shinzo Abe, former prime minister of Japan, was fatally shot while he was addressing a corner public meeting on July 8, 2022 from close quarters by an individual using a homemade shotgun.

2 – On November 3, 2022, during a road march, former PM of Pakistan Imran Khan was fired upon and he reportedly suffered a bullet injury.

3 – Vice-President of Argentina, Christina Fernandez, escaped an assassination bid on September 1, 2022 as a man tried to fire a loaded pistol close to her head.

4 – On April 15, 2023, a youth from within the crowd hurled a smoke bomb towards former Japanese PM Fumio Kishida on April 15, 2024 when he was giving a speech during an election campaign.

5 – 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.

6 – 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.

Link to article – 

Protecting ‘high-risk dignitaries’: Centre warns DGs on VVIP security, cites attempt on Trump’s life