Fayaz Bukhari
SRINAGAR, July 3: The Special Protection Group (SPG) guarding Prime Minister Narendra Modi today took over venues of the Army briefing at high security Chinar Corps Headquarters in Srinagar and Power House at Uri ahead of PM’s visit.
The SPG reached here this morning and drove to the Headquarters of 15 Corps at Srinagar to take over the venue where top Army Commanders will tomorrow brief Prime Minister about security situation in Jammu and Kashmir and along the Line of Control (LoC) and border with Pakistan and Line of Actual Control (LAC).
The movement into the highly guarded military Garrison of 15 Corps Headquarters was stopped today and no one was allowed to enter BB Cant. Thousands of civilians working in the Garrison were asked not to come to their duties for two days.
The two Army schools inside the Garrison have also been closed for two days as the security agencies don’t want to take any chance regarding the security of the Prime Minister who will land in the Srinagar Army Headquarters on Friday morning.
The officers and men from Security wing of the Jammu and Kashmir Police also went inside the Garrison where the PM is taking security review. They also reviewed the security arrangements for PM’s visit to the cantonment.
The SPG also took over the 240 MWs Uri II at Kalgai on Srinagar-Muzaffarabad highway near the Line of Control (LoC) where PM is inaugurating the power project.
Para-troops of Army, Special Services Group of Jammu and Kashmir Police is also guarding the venue of the power project since this morning.
Police and Army have been heavily deployed on Uri-Kalgi road as the PM’s helicopter will land in Uri Brigade and he will drive down to power house at Kalgi.
The district administration, police and Army were reviewing the arrangements today and Border Roads Organization men and machines were busy in macdamization of the parts of the Uri-Kalgi road.
Elsewhere, security was beefed up across Kashmir today. Police and paramilitary forces have set up barricades at many places in Srinagar and other major towns for carrying out searches of vehicles.
Random frisking of cars and motorcycles is being carried out to thwart any plans of the militants. Police and Central Reserve Police Force personnel will be deployed in strength in the city and along the Srinagar-Baramulla-Uri road to ensure that Modi’s visit passes off peacefully.
The extra security measures have been taken in view of all major have called for day long strike against the Prime Minister’s visit. Authorities today placed some senior separatist leaders under house arrest.
Those who have been confined to their residences include Hurriyat Conference Jammu and Kashmir (HCJK) leader Shabir Ahmad Shah, Hurriyat (M) leader Zaffar Akbar Bhat, Hurriyat Conference (G) leader Mohammad Ashraf Sehraie, Hurriyat (G) leader Ayaz Akbar and Hurriyat (G) leader Altaf Shah. Syed Ali Geelani, chairman Hurriyat Conference (G) is already under house arrest.
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