Srinagar (Jammu and Kashmir): Ahead of the Prime Minister Narendra Modi's first visit to Srinagar after being elected for third time in a row to lead International Yoga Day celebrations in Srinagar, security has been beefed up around the city with the main venue, Sher-e-Kashmir International Convention Centre (SKICC) being fortified into a high-security zone.
All the roads leading to SKICC, located on the banks of Dal Lake overlooking Zabarwan, have been closed for public traffic and no movement is permitted on it except for the VVIP and security officials. SKICC has been sensitized by security officials days ago and now closed for all activities till June 21. The venue has been taken over by the Special Protection Group (SPG) that manages the security details of the PM.
Though the PMO has not issued any tour itinerary of the PM visit, officials said that the PM will arrive in Srinagar on June 20 and attend the yoga day on the June 21 morning.
“The PM will address a virtual interaction with college and university students from SKICC on June 20 evening. He will lead and inaugurate the Yoga Day on June 21 morning,” the official said.
The Jammu and Kashmir Sports Council, which is hosting the Yoga event, has made elaborate preparations for the PM's yoga and trained around 3000 participants who will be taking part in yoga on June 21. The administration has taken all the Jammu and Kashmir State Road Transport Corporation (SRTC) buses, which number more than 250, and 100 Smart City buses off the public roads and deployed them for ferrying participants and security officials towards the venue. The SRTC buses run between districts in the valley while the smart city buses ferry passengers within the city.
An official said that the buses were asked to reach the designated places on June 18, the second day of Eid Ul Azha from their districts. A bus driver told ETV Bharat on condition of anonymity that they had to leave homes on Wednesday afternoon to reach Srinagar and then to SKICC. Passengers said they faced immense difficulties to reach their destinations due to taking off the public transport buses.
People said that due to closure of Gupkar road leading to the venue and traffic diversions, normal traffic stands disrupted, adding inconvenience to the public. City roads leading to hospitals and vital public offices saw major traffic congestion, with even ambulances stuck in traffic jams.
Jammu and Kashmir police has declared Srinagar city as ‘Temporary Red Zone’ for the operation of drones and quadcopters. The police has summoned persons with “suspicious track records” to police stations. A top police official confirmed to ETV Bharat every detail in the blue book that describes the Prime Minister’s security is being followed to the minutest precision.
"Only those people who have been called for questioning who have suspicious track records or are proclaimed offenders,” the official said.
Last year, Modi had led the Yoga day at UN Headquarters on the 9th International Day. The United Nations had proclaimed June 21 as the International Day of Yoga in December 2014.
Political Messaging of PM visit:
This is the PM's first visit to Srinagar after being elected as PM for the third time in a row to lead a coalition government of National Democratic Alliance (NDA). His visit assumes political significance for the BJP in the backdrop of successful and peaceful parliamentary elections which saw record-breaking turnout after decades.
The BJP also appointed union minister G K Reddy as in-charge for Jammu and Kashmir assembly elections since the UT will likely see holding of assembly elections after 10 years and abrogation of Article 370. Last assembly elections were held in Jammu and Kashmir 2014 when the BJP formed a coalition government with PDP. But the government lasted only four years when BJP pulled out of the government and withdrew support to Mehbooba Mufti. Since 2018, Jammu and Kashmir is under president's rule with the LG and his lone adviser running the administration.
Modi had visited Srinagar before parliamentary elections on March 7 where he had addressed a public rally in Bakshi Stadium in Srinagar. The rally was intended to drum up support for BJP in Jammu and Kashmir ahead of the parliamentary elections. The BJP had expected to win at least one parliamentary seat of Anantnag-Rajouri but the party leadership let down the Kashmir workers by not fielding any candidate on the three seats of the Kashmir valley. The two candidates of BJP ally, Apni Party, Ashraf Mir and Zaffar Manhas, lost their security deposit in Srinagar and Anantnag-Rajouri, while Peoples Conference president Sajad Lone, who was supported by Apni Party in Baramulla seat faced a drubbing defeat from jailed MP elect Engineer Rashid.
In Jammu where BJP contested and won two seats of Udhampur and Jammu, its winning percentage was mere two percent against its rival Congress. The dip in vote share for the BJP is seen as a major setback in Jammu and Kashmir ahead of the assembly elections.
BJP leaders in Jammu and Kashmir said that the PM's visit on June 21 assumes political significance for them given the BJP workers and leaders were feeling down as the party did not contest from the three seats of Kashmir- Baramulla, Srinagar and Anantnag-Rajouri.
“PM's visit to Srinagar, though strictly meant for Yoga day, is encouraging for us ahead of the assembly elections ahead. The visit will be encouraging for us and will boost morale of our workers and leaders,” a BJP leader told ETV Bharat.
Opposition political parties in Jammu and Kashmir are yet to react to the PM's visit to Srinagar.
Chief Election Commissioner (CEC), Rajiv Kumar, earlier this month said that the people of J&K would soon have their democratically-elected government in the Union Territory. The Election Commission of India has also started the process of allotting election symbols to political parties.
- Read more: Srinagar Declared 'Temporary Red Zone' For Drone Operations Ahead Of PM Modi's First Visit After Assuming Office
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