Modi sheds security to receive Abu Dhabi crown prince

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday shed much of his motorcade and security cover to travel to the  Indian Air Force station at Palam during the evening rush hour to receive the de-facto ruler of United Arab Emirates Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan.

Modi reached the airport which is near the Indira Gandhi International Airport with a trimmed motorcade without an ambulance and with lesser-than-usual security personnel, ostensibly to make it sure that his travel does not aggravate the traffic congestion during the evening rush hour, said officials. 

This is not the first time Modi travelled with a smaller security convoy. Even on Tuesday, the Prime Minister travelled in a small motorcade to reach the Army Research and Referral Hospital at Subroto Park in Delhi to visit Lance Naik Hanmanthappa – the soldier who miraculously survived for days after being buried under ice at Siachen Glacier.

Sources said that the prime minister had clearly instructed officials to keep the security arrangements minimum during his travels both on Tuesday and Wednesday, so that commuters did not experience any trouble. He has of late been travelling by choppers to places in National Capital Region, again to ensure that his motorcade do not disturb others.

Officials said that the prime minister had also asked the Special Protection Group officials to make sure his security arrangements did not cause any inconvenience to the common people.