In view of a possible terror threat, particularly after Indian Army’s punitive action against it Pakistan counterpart, the Centre has decided to provide unprecedented security cover to the forthcoming Amarnath Yatra beginning on June 29. A high-level meeting chaired by Union Home Secretary Rajiv Mehrishi on Tuesday decided to dispatch 27 battalions (27,000 personnel) of security forces for the safety and security of the pilgrims.
Ashok Prasad, MHA spokesperson, said the security forces will take into consideration all issues before finalising the security plan, he said in response to a question on the possible impact of the destruction of Pakistan Army posts by the Indian Army. “Definitely, we will make all efforts to ensure a peaceful pilgrimage,” Prasad said.
The J&K Government sought around 27,000 security personnel from the Central Government, mostly Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) personnel. This figure is 7,000 men more compared to last year.