Srinagar:Security has been lightened ahead of Prime minister Narendra Modi’s visit to this summer capital of Jammu and Kash-mir for addressing an elec-tion rally at S K cricket stadium today.
Mr Modi will be the third Prime Minister of the country to address a rally from the same venue in high security Sonawar area of the city, which has been closed for the past more than a week. Earlier, former Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpa-yee had addressed a public rally, extending a hand of friendship to Pakistan when relations between two neighbours were very strai-ned following Kargil war.
Mr Vajpayee on April 18,2003 offered a hand of friendship to Pakistan during a speech in S K stadium . The offer was welcomed by Pakistan and set the dialogue process, which was discontinued after Kargil war, rolling between the two countries. Later in May both the countries restored diplo-matic ties. Since the relations between India and Pakistan are again at its low, people expect some message of friendship to neighbouring country.
Leaders of different mainstream political parties, including Peoples Demo-cratic Party (PDP), National Conference (NC), Com-munist Party of India (M) and others cutting across party lines have time and again said that good relations between India and Pakistan are necessary for the people of Jammu and Kashmir, who have suffered the most during these years of strained relations.
However, hours before Dr Singh was to address the rally, security forces foiled a fidayeen attack and killed two militants hiding in a nearby structure at Rustam Gali top to attack a rally of PM.
Later, on April 7,2005, shortly before Dr Singh was to flagg off Karvan-e-Aman bus, operating between Srinagar and Muzaffarabad, capital of Pakistan-Occu-pied-Kashmir (PoK) to help families divided in 1947 to meet each others, there was a fidayeen attack on Tourists Reception Centre (TRC).
Kashmiris, who were scheduled to travel in the first bus had a narrow escape as they were putting up in TRC but were rescued and the bus operated later despite militant threat and opposition by some of the separatist groups.
Though security forces are already on high alert in view of the Assembly elections and sudden spurt in militant violence, a fresh advisory has been issued to all security agencies to keep a close watch on anti national elements who may try to disrupt peace during the Prime Minister visit to Srinagar, official sources told UNI.
The SK stadium was closed for any activities for the past more than a week. However, all roads leading to stadium have been closed since this morning, a day before the scheduled rally.
The traffic police depart-ment has also issued an advisory that no traffic will be allowed on any route towards the stadium today. Interestingly, a strike call by separatists against the Prime Minister’s visit will make things easy for security forces as not many vehicles and people will be on roads.
Hundreds of Security forces have put up more naka checkings, parti-cularly in the civil lines and uptown, conducting ran-dom search of vehicles and frisking of pedestrians and passen-gers. No vehicle, even pedestrians, were not being allowed to go towards the stadium.(UNI)
