Bhubaneswar: Security has been significantly heightened in Bhubaneswar ahead of senior Congress leader Rahul Gandhi’s visit to the city today for a public rally and meetings with party leaders.

As per Police Commissioner S. Dev Datta Singh, 53 platoons of police force have been deployed to ensure foolproof security during Rahul Gandhi’s road show and subsequent engagements. The road show is scheduled to be held from Bhubaneswar Airport to Medical Square, with strict arrangements already in place by the Commissionerate Police.

The Commissioner further informed that dog squads and bomb squads have also been engaged to strengthen the security. Rahul Gandhi is expected to head from the airport to the Baramunda Ground for the “Sambidhan Bachao” public meeting, which is scheduled to commence around noon.

Following the rally, he will meet two key delegations behind the stage — one comprising displaced tribal families affected by recent forced evictions, and the other of farmers highlighting procurement delays and agrarian distress.

According to the itinerary, a lunch break will follow from 1:45 PM to 2:45 PM, after which Rahul Gandhi will proceed to the Odisha Pradesh Congress Committee (OPCC) office for a series of meetings:

3:00 PM to 3:40 PM: Meeting with Political Affairs Committee.

3:40 PM to 4:20 PM: Meeting with OPCC office bearers and MLAs.

4:25 PM to 4:45 PM: Road journey from the OPCC office to the airport.