Amarnath Pilgrims directed to adhere to SOPs
Army Chief took stock of Security situation with Army Commanders of Northern Command
Targeted killings of seven Amarnath pilgrims has forced the top brass of the various security agencies to launch hot chase against terrorists responsible for the ‘dastardly’ act and flush them out of Kashmir Valley. According to the preliminary investigations by the police Lashkar-e-Toiba commander Ismail Bhai is believed to be the mastermind behind the attack.
In order to prevent a repeat of a similar strike, the heads of the various security agencies were taken on board by the National Security Advisor Ajit Doval at a high-level meeting with the Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh.
In addition, the senior officers also reviewed their strategy on how to ensure foolproof security of the pilgrims for the remaining number of days of pilgrimage.
The annual Amarnath pilgrimage which started on June 29 is scheduled to go on until August 7.
Since intelligence inputs had clearly warned possible terror strike on Amarnath pilgrims the same was not taken seriously and the Amarnath pilgrims were allowed to compromise their security which resulted in terror strike and death of seven innocent lives.
In the first two weeks of yatra, approximately 1.57 lakh pilgrims have already offered special prayers inside the holy cave shrine of Amarnath.
In order to prevent a repeat of a similar strike, the heads of the various security agencies were taken on board by the National Security Advisor Ajit Doval at a high-level meeting with the Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh.
Multi-pronged strategy discussed
During the meeting, a multi pronged strategy was discussed to further enhance the security of the pilgrims. Army Chief General Bipin Rawat also arrived in Srinagar on Tuesday morning and took a high level review of security situation along with senior army commanders of the Northern Command. A comprehensive discussion took place over the issue of plugging loopholes in the security apparatus if any. A discussion was also held on reasons behind the sudden spike in incidents of terrorist-related violence directed at policemen, army personnel and now Amarnath pilgrims as well.
Later in the day Army Chief also met Governor NN Vohra and Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti separately.
MOS PMO Dr. Jitendra Singh and MoS Home Ahir Hansraj also met Governor and Chief Minister and discussed the prevailing security situation. The two union ministers are learnt to have communicated centre’s approach towards the sensitive issue of handling security situation in Kashmir Valley in the coming days.
Since Prime Minister Narendra Modi is also in the loop the fine print of the strategy must have been shared and discussed with both Governor and Chief Minister before communicating it to the top bureaucrats and state police chief.
The security forces were also directed to follow standard operating procedures (SOPs) and stick to guidelines issued by the local police authorities to ensure the safety of pilgrims.
Faith driving Pilgrims
The audacious terror strike on Amarnath pilgrims in which 7 of them were killed and 19 others were injured failed to deter fresh batches of pilgrims from undertaking yatra.
On Tuesday more than 3,000 pilgrims were escorted in 105 vehicles under tight security arrangements to different base camps in Kashmir valley. On the other hand, more than 3,000 pilgrims arrived here to perform darshan inside the holy cave shrine. According to the shrine board authorities, about 13,000 pilgrims offered special pooja inside the holy cave shrine on Tuesday without any fear or security concerns on their mind.
The state government has also alerted the security grid along the Jammu-Pathankot National Highway to prevent fresh terror strike on the vital security installations in the state. The quick reactions teams of the Indian army have been positioned at various vantage locations along the highway to tackle any exigency without wasting mush time.
Note:
1. The views expressed here are those of the author and do not necessarily represent or reflect the views of PGurus.
- Subramanian Swamy approaches Supreme Court on Govt’s modification of 2G Scam Judgment to avoid auction of Satellite Spectrum - April 23, 2024
- Defence Minister Rajnath Singh visits Siachen. Reviews military preparedness - April 22, 2024
- Amit Shah’s shares in the Stock Market almost doubled in the past five years - April 21, 2024
