Jaipur, Aug 10: The Pink City is awash with saffron flags, banners and posters and security arrangements have been tightened ahead of the public meeting to be addressed by Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee here today. As many as 200,000 people are expected to assemble at the Amroodon ka Bagh for the meeting, the first major show of strength by the BJP ahead of the forthcoming assembly polls in the state.

BJP general secretary in charge of the state Pramod Mahajan, state unit chief Vasundhara Raje Scindia, Leader of the Opposition in the state assembly Gulab Chand Kataria and other senior leaders will also address the rally.

Barricades have been put at various points towards the venue to control the crowd. Police will be taking the help of BJP members to identify and isolate potential troublemakers.
Official sources said that as many as 66 executive magistrates have been appointed to oversee arrangements during the programme.

''It will be foolproof security. We are going by the book,'' state DGP V K Hansuka said. The police carried out a rehearsal of the security drill yesterday.

The meeting will start at 12:30 pm. Vajpayee is expected to arrive here at 12:50 pm, but he is scheduled to address the gathering at 4 pm only. He will return to the National Capital after 5 pm.

State BJP vice-president Onkar Singh Lakhawat said that more than 200,000 people are expected to arrive here in buses and trains. One lakh invitations have also been distributed in Jaipur.
Fears of trouble during the Prime Minister's rally had risen after leaders of the social justice forum threatened to disrupt the rally if their demand for job reservation to upper caste poor and bifurcation of the OBC list was not accepted.

Agitating SJF and Brahman Mahasabha leaders were arrested early this morning in view of the threat and are behind bars now.

The public meeting is being organised to mark the closure of Scindia's 'parivartan rath yatra', which covered every constituency barring those of Jaipur district ever since it began from Charbhuja in Rajasmand district on April 27.
Bureau Report