Preparations in full swing for PM Modi's Varanasi visit; to flag off 4 Vande Bharat trains
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Varanasi (UP) (PTI): Elaborate security and administrative arrangements have been made in Varanasi ahead of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's two-day visit to his parliamentary constituency beginning Friday evening.
During this visit, he will flag off four new Vande Bharat Express trains connecting key cities across the country.
According to officials, the prime minister will arrive at the Lal Bahadur Shastri International Airport in Babatpur around 5 pm on Friday, from where he will travel by road to Banaras Locomotive Works (BLW), where he will stay overnight.
On Saturday morning, at around 8.15 am, Modi will flag off four Vande Bharat Express trains from the Banaras railway station. These new semi-high-speed trains will operate on the Banaras-Khajuraho, Lucknow-Saharanpur, Firozpur-Delhi, and Ernakulam-Bengaluru routes.
The Banaras-Khajuraho Vande Bharat will connect prominent cultural and religious destinations, including Varanasi, Prayagraj, and Chitrakoot, officials said.
After the flagging-off ceremony, Modi will travel by helicopter to Babatpur Airport and depart for Darbhanga, Bihar, around 9.15 am.
Meanwhile, the city has been adorned to welcome the prime minister. According to Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) functionaries, arrangements have been made for his grand reception at several locations along his route, including Sant Atulanand Bypass, near JP Mehta, the BLW FCI godown, and near the BLW gate.
Commissioner of Police Mohit Agarwal said a three-tier security system has been put in place for the prime minister's visit. The entire route has been declared a 'no-flying zone', and CCTV surveillance and drone monitoring will ensure real-time vigilance.
All police personnel deployed on duty have been instructed to carry their identity cards at all times. No vehicles will be allowed to halt on the prime minister's route, and rooftop security deployment has also been made, Agarwal said, adding that entry at the venue will be permitted only after thorough security checks.
Separate arrangements have been made for the frisking of women by women police officers, and officials on duty have been directed to carry loudspeakers and public address systems to manage the crowd efficiently.
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Lebanon appoints new representative for talks with Israel, rejects linkage to Iran
Beirut: Lebanon’s has moved to underline its independent position in ongoing regional developments, amid attempts to link the country to the broader conflict involving Iran, the United States and Israel.
President Joseph Aoun, while announcing the appointment of former US ambassador Simon Karam as Lebanon’s representative in talks with Israel, made it clear that Karam would be the sole representative for Lebanon and that there would be no substitute.
The move comes in response to what the Lebanese officials see as efforts by Iran to tie Lebanon’s situation to the wider regional conflict. Iran had indicated that there would be no ceasefire involving the US, Israel and Iran unless it also included a ceasefire in Lebanon.
Some groups, including Hezbollah and its supporters, had expressed support for linking the situations, citing concerns that the Lebanese government has limited leverage in negotiations with Israel. Lebanon is not formally a party to the conflict, and its army is considered weak.
However, others, including Prime Minister Nawaf Salam, have opposed this approach. They view Iran’s stance as an attempt to influence Lebanon’s internal affairs and see it as undermining the country’s sovereignty.
Officials backing the government’s position say the move is aimed at reaffirming Lebanon’s sovereignty and ensuring that decisions about peace and ceasefire within the country are not dictated externally.
They also see it as a safeguard, so that any breakdown in talks between the US, Israel and Iran does not automatically lead to renewed conflict in Lebanon.
