SRINAGAR: Kashmir is witnessing security beef up ahead of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s first official visit to J&K on Friday. Modi’s visit to the state, as India’s prime minister, has afforded the otherwise disarrayed separatists a rallying point. Almost all groups have called for shutdown and protests on Friday, when Modi will land in the state to inaugurate a railway line in Jammu and a power project in Uri. This has prompted a reinforcement in the state’s security plan for hosting the most crucial visit by the prime minister. Modi is learned to review the security scenario of the state and lend audience to the Governor, the Chief Minister and the top army brass, including officers who command the formations deployed in the state’s sensitive frontiers with Pakistan. That makes security issue all the more fundamental ahead of the visit.
Meanwhile the security agencies here have made adequate security arrangements and claim to have foolproof plan to “divert” any threat during the stay of the prime minister in the region.
Police and paramilitary personnel have been deployed in strength in various areas of Srinagar . Policemen wearing full riot gear and carrying automatic rifles were seen frisking commuters and checking cars and cabs for any explosives. Senior police officials, reports say, are personally overseeing the security arrangements on the crucial VVIP visit. Moreover, the army, police and CRPF have started coordinating through an “intelligence pool” set up exclusively to watch the potential threats on and before the prime minister’s arrival.
Police sources said a number of “known trouble mongers” have been detained to keep an eye on them, but the arrests were not officially confirmed. It is not yet clear whether the administered would go for the curfew-like restrictions in select areas to discourage protest demonstrations. Top intelligence officials are, however, in touch and the decision about any curbs is likely to be taken on Thursday evening.
ITITENERARY
Prime Minister Narendra Modi will pay a one-day visit to Jammu and Kashmir- his first after assuming office of the prime minister – on July 4, Friday. The prime minister will arrive in Jammu and then proceed to nearby Katra town to inaugurate the Katra-Udhampur train that would cover a 25-Km distance between the two places. Katra being the base town of the Mata Vaishno Devi shrine, remains flooded with pilgrims for the annual yatra. After the commissioning of the Katra railway station, pilgrims would be able to reach the town directly without having to engage other modes of transport as they now do.
Railways Minister Sadananda Gowda and Minister of State in the PMO Jitendera Singh will accompany Modi during his visit. The prime minister will then leave for Srinagar where he will chair a security review meeting at the Badami Bagh headquarters of the army’s 15 Corps. The meeting will be attended by Governor N.N. Vohra, Chief Minister Omar Abdullah, General Officer Commanding-in-Chief (GOC-in-C) Northern Command, Lt. Gen D.S. Hooda and the three corps commanders of the 14th, 15th and the 16th Corps. The governor will later host lunch for the prime minister at the Raj Bhavan in Srinagar. Modi is also scheduled to visit Uri town in Baramulla district to inaugurate the 240 MW Uri-II hydroelectric power project.
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