Security upgraded in Kashmir for round-table meet

Srinagar, May 22: A day after a suicide attack on a Congress rally here, security has been beefed up to the maximum in Kashmir, particularly the Srinagar city, to ensure smooth and incident-free second round-table conference, and also for Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's two day visit to the Valley from May 24.

Security has been stepped to an unprecedented level in view of yesterday's fidayeen attack on the public meeting organised by the Congress to mark the 15th death anniversary of late Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi here at the Sher-i-Kashmir Municipal Park.

Three civilians, two militants and as many policemen were killed and 30 others, including Inspector General of Police (IGP), Kashmir K Rajendra Kumar, wounded in the fidayeen attack.

The high degree of threat perception and apprehensions that militants might launch terror attacks coinciding with the conference following a warning by them to ''attack and sabotage'' the meet has forced the authorities to put in place extraordinary security arrangements.

''We have further augmented the security system for the event and are working in consonance with the police. We have deployed personnel at all vantage points and fully ready to meet any eventuality,'' CRPF DIG Operations G J Singh told UNI.

He said hi-tech security gadgets and techniques would be enforced besides various measures have been taken for smooth holding of the round-table.

Immediately after the attack, Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad summoned an emergency meeting of top civil and security officials last evening to take stock of the situation.

The Centre has dispatched a team of senior Home Ministry officials, led by Special Secretary (Internal security) G S Rajagopal, to Srinagar for assessing the situation in the wake of the suicide attack on the public rally.

The state government has also banned all public rallies and meetings in the summer capital for two days. The authorities refused permisison to People's Conference Chairman Sajjad Ghani Lone to hold a public meeting at the Sher-i-Kashmir Cricket Stadium today to mark the fourth death anniversary of his father Abdul Ghani Lone, who was assassinated by unidentified gunmen here on May 21, 2002.

Unprecedented security arrangements have been put in place at the Sher-i-Kashmir International Convention Centre (SKICC), the venue of the high-profile conference.

Official sources said the SKICC will be out of bounds for civilians and all the functions have been cancelled. The Boulevard Road on the banks of the world famous Dal Lake has been closed for traffic from today, two days ahead of the conference.

All roads leading to the SKICC have been closed and adjacent areas extensively searched to foil any attempt by the ultras to disrupt the event.

Troops have been deployed in strength near the SKICC to maintain a vigil in the area and around the venue. Close circuit televisions have been installed in and around the SKICC as well to monitor the movement of individuals and vehicles from Dalgate to Nishat and adjoining areas.

The summer capital has virtually turned into a fortress with security and police officials asked to take extraordinary measures for preventing any untoward incident. A group of five to six security personnel could be seen after every 10 meters in the city. Troops have been put on maximum alert and spread far and wide in the state following intelligence reports that militants were planning to carry out terror attacks, including car bomb explosions, ahead of the meet.

The four militant outfits -- Al Nasireen, Farzandan-e-Millat, Save Kashmir Movement and Al Arifeen -- have warned to ''attack and disrupt'' the round-table and asked the separatist leadership to stay away from the meet.

In a statement to the local media here, Abdul Sameeh, a spokesman of the four militant groups, said Jammu and Kashmir was a ''disputed state and the Government of India had forcibly occupied it''.

''The Indian Prime Minister and other leaders cannot convene a round-table conferences here. They are holding the conference to mislead the international opinion.'' he alleged.

It may be recalled that the four militant outfits had last year strongly opposed the Srinagar-Muzaffarabad bus service and threatened to turn it into a ''coffin''.

Mr Azad had also expressed apprehension about mischief by ''some boys'', apparently referring to militants, coinciding with the round-table and the Prime Minister's two-day visit to the Valley.

Addressing a meeting of Federation of Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FICCI) here on May 19, he said the round-table was of international significance. ''Some boys here and there will like to create a situation that they are very much here,'' Mr Azad added.

A senior security official told UNI here that they have received intelligence reports suggesting that militants might try to sabotage the important meet.

''Militants have always tried to grab the international headlines whenever there has been an important event in Kashmir. But, this time we are determined to prevent them from doing so and foil their attempts to create large-scale disturbances during the round-table conference,'' he added.

The official said the security forces and the police have been asked to be extra alert and maintain strict vigil in the entire Valley.

UNI

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