Police stepped up security at Shegaon in Maharashtra's Buldhana district ahead of the public rally of Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, whose remarks on Hindutva ideologue V D Savarkar have triggered a controversy and protests.
The Bharat Jodo Yatra led by Gandhi reached Shegaon this morning and he is scheduled to address the rally in the evening, PTI reported.
Since Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) workers have planned to protest against Gandhi over his remarks against Savarkar, security has been beefed up, an official said, At least 1,700 policemen along with the companies of the State Reserve Police Force (SRPF) and the Quick Response Team (QRT) are being deployed at Shegaon, he said.
The police will carry out nakabandi (road block checks) to stop MNS workers from entering the venue of the rally, the official said, adding that 700 personnel, some of them in plain clothes, will be deployed at the ground.
The MNS had on Thursday warned that it would show black flags to Gandhi at Shegaon as a mark of protest over his remarks against Savarkar.