Sanjeev Pargal
JAMMU, Apr 15: Army has taken over the heights in all three districts of Doda belt to conduct patrolling and thwart possibility of any attempt by the militants to strike in the once militancy infested Doda, Kishtwar and Ramban districts while troops have also been put on alert for the towns to meet with any eventuality on or before the polling for crucial Udhampur-Doda Lok Sabha seat on April 17.
Official sources told the Excelsior that the Army would be dominating the heights of Doda, Kishtwar and Ramban districts, comprising 6 Assembly segments during the elections. In fact, they said, the Army has already taken positions all along the heights of three districts and started dominant patrolling to ensure that the militants didn’t manage to shift to plain areas to carry out terror strike in any area.
While authorities have declared Doda as militancy free district, few militants were still present in Kishtwar and Ramban districts though they were lying very low and haven’t committed any terror act for the past quite some time. However, sources said, the militants were still capable of carrying out any terror attack and, therefore, the administration didn’t want to take any chances.
Moreover, they added, the heights of Kishtwar district were also linked to Anantnag district of the Kashmir Valley and the possibility of militants infiltrating into this side can’t be ruled out though there were remote chances of such an act.
DIG Doda-Ramban range Ashkoor Wani said the Army has been dominating heights of all three districts of Doda belt as a part of measures to maintain pressure on few surviving militants, keep confidence among the voters and ensure peaceful polling.
“Similar security arrangements (Army dominating the heights) had been made during the previous elections. Though the militancy has declined considerably during past five years, we are taking no chances. We have made same, or rather more strict, arrangements for the elections this time as compared to 2009,” Mr Wani said.
He added that troops have also been kept on alert in all three districts to meet with any eventuality on the day of polling even as adequate numbers of Central Armed Police Forces (CAPFs) and police personnel have been deployed in all three districts.
It may be mentioned here that Kishtwar town was rocked by communal riots on August 9, 2013 on the occasion of Eid festival in which three persons were killed and large scale property of minorities including shops and houses were burnt and damaged.
Sources said the authorities have already kept the Army on alert not only in communally sensitive Kishtwar town but all three districts of erstwhile Doda district on the day of polling to meet with any situation though they were confident that polling would pass off smoothly in view of tight security arrangements put in place not only at the polling stations but in other vulnerable areas also.
Erstwhile Doda district comprising of three districts of Doda, Kishtwar and Ramban has 6 Assembly segments-Kishtwar, Inderwal, Bhaderwah, Doda, Banihal and Ramban.
Sources didn’t anticipate any militancy related incident on or before the polling as few surviving militants in Kishtwar and Banihal districts were lying low and were not even capable of undertaking any major strike but still the authorities were not taking any chances as the militants were under pressure from their mentors to create trouble during the elections.
Meanwhile, hectic campaigning for Udhampur-Doda Lok Sabha seat ended at 6 pm today. Even as there are 13 candidates in the fray, the main contest is being witnessed among Union Minister for Health and Family Welfare Ghulam Nabi Azad (Congress), Dr Jitendra Singh (BJP) and Arshad Malik (PDP).
Mr Azad is contesting first Lok Sabha election from his home State. Similarly, this is first election of Dr Singh’s political career.
For BJP, party’s Prime Ministerial candidate Narendra Modi and party national president Rajnath Singh held rallies in support of Dr Jitendra Singh. While Mr Modi had held an impressive rally in border town of Hiranagar on March 26, two days before the terror attack, Rajnath addressed the rally at Udhampur today.
For Congress, AICC (I) vice president Rahul Gandhi addressed a rally at Doda while cine star Raj Babbar campaigned yesterday. Chief Minister Omar Abdullah also joined the campaign for Mr Azad.
PDP president Mehbooba Mufti addressed a series of rallies for party candidate Arshad Malik.
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