In an attempt to clear the air on the controversy regarding security of Amarnath yatra, Jammu & Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah said that the State would take regular precautions with a multi-layer security grid. However, he said the “yatra attack feared” headlines were a gross exaggeration.
The CM did not mention Army Commander lt Gen KT Parnaik’s assertion that the yatra was under threat by separatist militants nor did he refer to Union Home Minister Sushilkumar Shinde’s statement on the threat perception and Center’s intent to send in additional security forces.
He referred to the media headlines based on Parnaik and Shinde’s statements and buttressed his claim on ‘route threat’ with Wednesday’s meeting of the Unified Command Headquarters (UHQ) in Srinagar.
The pilgrimage to the holy Amarnath cave located in the south Kashmir’s mountains begins on June 28. The security drill has begun on both routes to the cave through Pahalgam and Baltal.
lt Gen Parnaik had said that the Army has launched “Operation Shiva” to safeguard the yatra from attacks “planned by separatist militants”. A day after his statement, Home Minister Shinde claimed that there was terror threat to the nearly two-month-long yatra and additional security forces were being deployed to provide safety.
Writing on microblogging site twitter Omar said that there was no confusion within Intelligence agencies in the UHQ meeting on the increased threat. “Talk about confusion within Intelligence agencies NO WHERE in the UHQ meeting yesterday was a mention made of an increased threat (sic)”, he wrote adding, “In fact I asked a pointed question about whether the threats this year were higher than previous years and the answer was a categorical no”.He said, “While we will take all regular precautions with a multi-layer security grid “yatra attack feared” headlines are a gross exaggeration”.
Senior separatist leader Syed Ali Shah Geelani also criticised Army’s announcement to launch “Operation Shiva” for the Amarnath pilgrimage saying kashmiris have always received the yatris with open arms.
“The launch of the operation is nothing but to defame people of Kashmir who always received the pilgrims and extended all help to them”, he said.
Another separatist leader Mirwaiz Umar Farooq also rejected the claims of the authorities that there was any threat to the Amarnath pilgrimage this year. “The yatris are our guests. We have always welcomed them despite the abnormal situation prevailing in Kashmir,” Mirwaiz said. “The statement of Indian authorities that there was a threat to the yatris this year is a brazen lie. It is contrary to the ground realities. We reject these notions and statements”, Mirwaiz said in a statement.
Observers say that Chief Minister’s guarded but pointed reaction is to allay the possible fear psychosis among the prospective visitors and pilgrims heading for Kashmir. The tourism season had a sluggish start this year following the hanging of parliament attack convict Afzal Guru in Delhi’s Tihar jail on February 9.