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Navratri festival: Security forces to ensure foolproof arrangements at Vaishno Devi shrine
Jammu and Kashmir police and security forces have started making security arrangements at Katra, on the twin tracks, and at the Bhawan ahead of the nine-day long Navratri festival
Jammu and Kashmir police and security forces have started making security arrangements at Katra, on the twin tracks, and at the Bhawan ahead of the nine-day long Navratri festival.
The festival begins on September 26.
Considered one of the most sacred Hindu pilgrimages, the nine-day-long festival draws pilgrims from various parts of the country and abroad.
While inquiry reports of the January 1 stampede at the Bhawan that left 12 pilgrims dead and scores injured and the May 12 sticky bomb blast in a bus in Katra that left four pilgrims dead and 22 others injured were yet to be shared in the public domain, security forces were leaving no stone unturned to ensure fool-proof security at the base camp Katra and the Bhawan.
“The administration on Friday reviewed the security situation at a meeting in view of the forthcoming Navratri festival. We expect a good turnout of pilgrims this festival,” said a senior police official.
During the meeting, special emphasis was given to ensuring fool-proof security of the pilgrims, he added.
The official informed that besides QRTs (quick response teams) and a multi-tier security grid comprising police, CRPF and other paramilitary forces, drones will also be deployed at vantage points in Katra, twin tracks and Bhawan to keep 24x7 surveillance.
Checking squads including cops in muftis have been deployed around Katra town to ensure round-the-clock effective checking and frisking.
The police have also decided to revisit the list of OGWs (sympathizers of terrorists) in various police stations, monitoring social media including Facebook, and WhatsApp to curb the new pattern of radicalization and to pre-empt any sinister design.
“We have already initiated a crusade against drug peddlers in and around Katra and recently booked and detained two notorious drug peddlers of Katra under PSA. The police have decided not to allow any kind of criminal activity in and around the holy town,” he added.
The Hindu cave shrine, it may be stated here, has always remained high on the terror radar of various terror outfits.
