Amid mixed response from the political leadership over Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s decision to celebrate Diwali among the flood-affected people of Kashmir on Thursday, the security has been beefed up in entire Valley to thwart militants’ attempts to mark their presence. The two factions of separatist Hurriyat Conference have called for a general shutdown on PM’s visit and pro-Pakistan outfit Hizbul Mujahideen has supported the call.
Modi threw a surprise on Tuesday when he tweeted that he would spend the Diwali day with “our sisters & brothers affected by the unfortunate floods in Kashmir”. The announcement shook the political circles in Kashmir.
On Wednesday, Director General of Police K Rajendra held a high-level meeting at Police Headquarters to review the security arrangements ahead of Prime Minister’s visit to Valley. Senior officers from police, paramilitary, civil administration and intelligence agencies attended the meeting.
“During the meeting, all security arrangements of the Prime Minister’s visit including the routes and locations were discussed threadbare,” officials said adding the DGP stressed for sanitising all routes, the PM is passing through during his visit.
Thousands of police and paramilitary personnel were fanned out in capital Srinagar for round-the-clock vigil. The Army has intensified area domination in the countryside to check movement of the militants.
The officials said the traffic would be diverted to other areas when the PM arrives in specific localities. The Railways police have been asked to remain “more vigilant in order to foil any ill-design of anti-national elements”.
Sources said that the PM would arrive at around 12.30 pm and will head towards Raj Bhawan. He would then be escorted to specific flood-raved localities. A contingent of PM’s security arrived here on Tuesday shortly after he announced the decision to head for Srinagar on Diwali eve.
Sources said the PM is likely to worst-hit localities in capital Srinagar and interact with the flood-ravaged people. He would also visit make-shift camps where people have been temporarily rehabilitated.
Two factions of separatist Hurriyat Conference have called for a daylong strike on the PM’s arrival. The pro-independence JKlF and pro-pakistan outfit Hizbul Mujahideen have supported the call.
“The Government of India did nothing to mitigate the sufferings of flood-hit Kashmiris. Even the international aid was stopped and people were allowed to suffer. The Modi’s visit on Diwali is an attempt to rub salt on our wounds”, Hurriyat (G) chief Syed Ali Geelani said.
“The theatrics of false mourning and tears were a hallow show of sympathy over the hardships faced by the flood hit Kashmiris,” Mirwaiz Umar Farooq, head of another Hurriyat faction said.
“The way Indian Media has been busy in blowing PM Narendra Modi’s Kashmir visit on Diwali out of proportions clearly indicates that the visit is more a publicity stunt than the intent of real help to flood-hit Kashmiries and amounts to building castles of electoral politics over the ruins and rubble of Kashmir,” Mirwaiz said.
“Modi’s decision to celebrate Diwali here is a political gimmick. We support the strike call on the day (October 23)”, Hizb spokesman Salim Hashmi said.
Referring to the separatists’ plans, the Police chief has asked the officers on law and order duty to keep a tight vigil on “suspicious elements who always try to find an opportunity to disrupt the peaceful atmosphere in the State”.
The Opposition Peoples’ Democratic Party (PDP) president Mehbooba Mufti has welcomed Modi’s visit and described it as an opportunity to understand the ground situation in the aftermath of floods. “The visit of the Prime Minister must not be seen with the political prism. The State Government failed on every level vis-à-vis post flood relief and rehabilitation measures and all eyes are now on Government of India for the resolution of the issues,” she said.
The State Congress chief Saifuddin Soz said the visit is politically motivated.”If Modi is really serious over mitigating the sufferings of the flood victims then he must approve the relief memorandum submitted by the State Government at an earliest,” Soz said.