R-Day celebrations: Multi-tier security setup put in place across JK
Jammu\Srinagar: A multi-layered security arrangement has been put in place at all the venues across Jammu and Kashmir to ensure peaceful Republic Day celebrations, officials said on Monday.
The focus is on the Maulana Azad Stadium here, the venue of the main function where Lt Governor Manoj Sinha will take a salute and unfurl the national flag, they said.
Besides the Maulana Azad Stadium, official functions will be held at all district and tehsil headquarters, including block development offices across the union territory, to mark the 72nd Republic Day on Tuesday.
“A multi-layered security arrangement has been put in place at all the venues of the Republic Day celebrations to ensure peaceful celebrations and thwart any attempt by terrorists to disrupt the functions,” a police official said.
He said the security has been stepped up at vital installations, including railway stations, bus stands and important religious places like Mata Vaishno Devi shrine in Reasi district and Raghunath temple in Jammu, besides more checkpoints have been set up along the highways as part of the arrangement to keep a strict vigil.
The police official said the border security grid was further strengthened and patrolling intensified to foil any attempt by terrorists to sneak into this side from across the border, while additional posts have also been set up in border areas.
In Jammu city, the deployment of police and paramilitary forces, especially in and around the Maulana Azad Stadium, has been strengthened.
Vehicle checking has also been intensified on the eve of Republic Day, the officials said.
They said police assisted by paramilitary forces were also seen carrying out area domination patrolling and searches around the venues at district headquarters.
According to officials from the border district of Poonch, a large posse of police personnel patrolled different parts of the main city on Monday.
Several local youth were arrested and a large cache of arms and ammunition seized in the district over the past fortnight, foiling terrorist plans to revive militancy in the district, they said.
The deployments were made keeping in view the threat perception, the officials said, adding that drones are also being used to keep a close vigil.
Meanwhile, police and paramilitary forces carried out random searches and an area-domination exercise at Lal Chowk and adjoining areas here on Monday as security has been beefed up across Kashmir to prevent militants from carrying out any subversive activities, officials said.
The police, assisted by paramilitary forces, carried out the searches in the Lal Chowk, Court Road and Residency Road areas, they added.
Security has been beefed up around the Sher-e-Kashmir cricket stadium, the main venue for the Republic Day celebrations in the valley, as well as in other districts of Kashmir, the officials said.
They said various measures have been put in place to ensure that the Republic Day passes off peacefully.
Random checking of vehicles and frisking of passengers are being carried out at several places, the officials said, adding that the deployment of security personnel around vital installations in and around the city and other district headquarters has been strengthened.
A thick layer of security has been thrown around the venue — a few kilometres away from the Lal Chowk city centre — and the area has been sanitised, they said.
The security forces have been asked to remain alert and more check-points have been erected in the city, the officials said.
Inspector General of Police (IGP), Kashmir Vijay Kumar on Sunday said the situation is under control and expressed confidence that the day will pass off without any untoward incidents.
“The situation is under control. The functions will be held incident-free,” he said here.
Kumar said a multi-layered security cover has been put in place and domination and surveillance of areas are being undertaken.
“A three-layered security arrangement has been put in place. Areas are being dominated, frisking and checking of vehicles are being undertaken. Drones are also being used,” he said.
The IGP said the security forces are launching cordon-and-search operations “wherever there is some suspicion” as regards the presence of militants.
“The security arrangements are fully in place,” he added. (PTI)
Press Trust of India
