Ahmedabad security concerns rise amid bomb threats and firecracker shop protests

Ahmedabad is facing heightened security concerns following a wave of 19 bomb threats received in a single day. The threats targeted various locations, including 14 schools, two courts, the Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation offices, and the Narendra Modi Stadium. One email specifically warned against traveling to the Motera Stadium Metro station on November 21, the date of a scheduled concert. The messages included slogans associated with separatist movements, though the authenticity of the sender remains unverified. In response, police, bomb detection teams, and dog squads were deployed to conduct security checks, and some schools sent students home as a precaution.

Separately, residents of the Khadia neighborhood in Ahmedabad are protesting the operation of approximately 20 firecracker shops within their densely populated residential area. Ahead of Diwali, locals expressed fear of a major disaster, citing a recent fire at a factory in Ramol. Residents have demanded the relocation of these shops away from narrow lanes, schools, and crowded housing, questioning the licensing process and the accountability of authorities should an accident occur.