New Delhi: The White House may step up security ahead of Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi's scheduled visit here late this week.
A TOI report stated that the Secret Service is contemplating screening visitors at checkpoints before the public areas, which includes Blair House, the red facade state guest house (the venue where Modi will be staying as President Barack Obama's guest), in front of the White House gates.
As a result, when Indian officials and journalists will arrive here, they may find security procedures more rigorous and stringent.
It should be noted that, earlier in November 2009, an Indian journalist Aziz Burney was held outside the White House ahead of the then PM Manmohan Singh's ceremony here. At that time, security officials argued that Burney had a different name, Abdul Aziz Khan, on an earlier passport and visa that was attached to the new one.
There are also reports that Sikh groups, who have protested during Singh's visit demanding justice for the 1984 anti-Sikh riots, have announced that they will be demonstrating this time too. To avoid a possible hindrance, the Secret Service will be drawing the security perimeter several blocks away from the White House.
Modi will meet Obama at the White House on September 29-30 during which the two leaders would discuss a wide range of bilateral and strategic issues including economic partnership between two countries. This will be his maiden trip to the US after he was denied a visa in 2005.
The White House, which has more than 135 rooms, is open for public tours even when the First Family is incident the building.
