India prepares to greet Saarc leaders

Narendra Modi will be sworn in as India's 15th Prime Minister on Monday under an unprecedented three-tier security arrangement at the forecourt of Rashtrapati Bhavan perched on the Raisinha Hills in New Delhi.
An estimated 5,000 security personnel will be engaged to man various facets of the security architecture being built for the occasion where layers of protection would be tighter than at the annual Republic Day parade here, media reports said.   
Sources say the Air Force and the Army will be "discreetly involved" but most of the arrangements are being overseen by the Delhi Police, along with paramilitary forces.
Anti-aircraft guns of the air force are being positioned in strategic areas.
Modi is one of the most highly-protected politicians in India and what has added to the worries of the security establishment is the possible presence of top Saarc leaders including Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, Afghan president Hamid Karzai, Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapaksa and Bangladesh Jatiya Sansad Speaker Shirin Sharmin Chodhury who have confirmed their attendance.
A list of 3.000 guests, which will include former presidents and former prime ministers, has been prepared for the event when an Indian Prime Minister will be sworn in the Rashtrapati Bhavan forecourt only for the third time on Monday.
A high-security zone is likely to be put in place in and around Rashtrapati Bhavan estate to regulate the entry and exit of visiting heads of states or their representatives from Saarc countries. There will be regular anti-sabotage checks on all roads leading to Rashtrapati Bhavan which is already a high-security zone along with neighbouring buildings like the prime minister's office, North Block and South Block.
With multiple agencies being involved in making the preparations for the swearing-in ceremony, coordination meetings are being held everyday at the Rashtrapati Bhavan to ensure there are no hiccups.
A variety of refreshments are expected to be served to the VVIP dignitaries at the swearing-in venue including chicken tikka, sandwiches and of course 'dhokla', a Gujarat delicacy liked by Modi who hails from Gujarat state.
Earlier, the plan was to serve only vegetarian dishes but non-veg stuff has been added with the invites sent to Saarc leaders, reports said.
Among those present at the swearing-in will be Modi's 90-year-old mother Hirababen and his brother. Modi had met his mother and touched her feet seeking her blessings in Ahmedabad city in Gujarat before leaving for Delhi on Thursday.
A touch of glamour may also be added to the oath-taking ceremony with the likely presence of cinema celebrities like Salman Khan, Amitabh Bachchan, who has been the ambassador for Gujarat state tourism for the last five years, playback singer Lata Mangeshkar who had said she would like to see Modi sitting in the prime minister's chair, Tamil film superstar Rajinikanth whom Modi had met during election campaign, the reports said adding invites had been sent to the celebrities.