Security arrangments for NC rally disrupt life in Srinagar

Srinagar, Apr 28 (UNI) Unprecedented security arrangements for the public meeting of National Conference, the main opposition party in the Jammu and Kashmir, affected normal life in the civil line areas today.

The busy route from Radio Kashmir crossing to Regal chowk was closed for traffic since last night and pedestrians were being frisked and their identity cards checked properly before being allowed to enter the area.

The NC leaders, including its patron former Chief Minister Dr Farooq Abdullah and president Omar Abdullah were to address the NC rally at Sher-e-Kashmir park.

The rally, which was to start at 1200 hours, was delayed as people from villages, in buses and other vehicles, had not reached the venue of the rally.

A UNI correspondent who visited the area last evening and this morning saw Jammu and Kashmir police personnel alongwith trained dog squad searching the entire area.

The police personnel used ladders to search about two dozen-chinar trees in and around the park.

''Keeping in view the threat perception, we are taking no chance,'' a security official searching the area with the help of metal detector said.

The nearby building, housing a number of offices, was also searched by the police personnel.

Bulletproof vehicles were parked in the middle of the roads at Radio Kashmir crossing and Polo view crossing and only those vehicles having security passes were being allowed to enter the area after proper checking. Other traffic was, however, diverted through different routes.

Police and Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) personnel armed with automatic weapons were guarding the park from all sides to thwart any militant attempt to disrupt the meeting.

Last year a fidayeen appeared on the stage in the same park, minutes before Chief Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad was scheduled to arrive there. Four persons, including two police personnel, were killed and then Inspector General of Police for Kashmir range, K Rajinder Kumar, was injured by the fidayeen who too was later gunned down.

Since the fidayeen was also in police uniform, special passes were today issued to police and CRPF personnel for identification.

UNI