G20 Summit: While hosting more than twenty heads of state from across the world, the police and various security agencies in Delhi had to adopt the strictest and unique security standards. The SPG decided the code names of the hotels of the heads of state at a meeting of senior officials of Delhi Police and the elite commando force. Even the hotel staff did not know which international celebrity they would be serving.
G20 Summit: From the hotels of the guests to the venues
While hosting more than twenty heads of state from across the world, the police and various security agencies in Delhi had to adopt the strictest and unique security standards. Just as ‘POTUS’ is the code name for the American President.
Similarly, the hotels where they stayed and other destinations were also given code names. SPG, the security agency of the Indian Prime Minister, worked on keeping the name in this direction.
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Even the hotel staff did not know the code names of heads of state
The SPG decided the code names of the hotels of the heads of state at a meeting of senior officials of Delhi Police and the elite commando force. In this exercise which started a month ago, even the hotel staff did not know which international personality they would be serving.
Even the police officers did not know which head of state had which code name.
Even lower police officers did not know the real name of the code names due to security reasons. During the exchange of information to ensure the seamless functioning of all programs, US President Joe Biden’s hotel ITC Maurya was named ‘Pandora’.
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Rishi Sunak’s hotel was named Samara
The five-star hotel Shangrila where British PM Rishi Sunak and his wife Akshata Murthy stayed was named ‘Samara’. UAE’s Crown Prince Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan stayed in the Taj Mahal Hotel located on Mansingh Road in Lutyens’ Delhi, which was named ‘Paramount’.
Pragati Maidan got the name ‘Niketan‘
Similarly, other hotels like La Meridien were named Mahabodhi. Whereas Rajghat and Pragati Maidan were named ‘Rudrapur’ and ‘Niketan’ respectively.
Despite keeping the information secret and strict monitoring, security agencies faced some problems with security breaches. Like a vehicle of the US President’s convoy suddenly entered the Taj Palace Hotel. The driver told during interrogation that he had to take an industrialist from Lodhi State to the Taj Hotel.
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This was contrary to the original plan, hence even after releasing the driver, he was removed from the convoy of the US President.