Amit Shah stresses on violence-free Amarnath Yatra

Union Home Minister Amit Shah has directed all security agencies to take all preventive steps to ensure a violence-free Yatra in a review meeting on Wednesday. He asserted that forces should ensure best possible optimum use of the latest technologies and the gadgets, not only for the security of the Yatra but also to facilitate the movement of the devotees and the tourists.

Srinagar: Union Home Minister Amit Shah, who is on a two-day visit to the Jammu and Kashmir, on Wednesday conducted a review meeting of the security arrangements for Amarnath Yatra and directed all security agencies to take all preventive steps to ensure a violence-free Yatra.

Governor Satya Pal Malik was also present in the meeting.

"There should be no laxity. Strict enforcement of the SOPs should be ensured. Senior officers should personally supervise the arrangements," Shah said.

He asserted that forces should ensure best possible optimum use of the latest technologies and the gadgets, not only for the security of the Yatra but also to facilitate the movement of the devotees and the tourists.

The Home Minister specifically drew the attention of the forces towards anti-sabotage as well as anti-subversion drills and the access control procedures.

He underlined the importance of the standard operating procedure for convoy movement stating that timely dispatch of convoys should be ensured and all lateral points should be manned 24x7.

"Besides attending to a medical emergency, preparedness must also be ensured to deal with any type of calamity or contingency. Specialised units and trained personnel should be in place with due focus on the prescribed drills for the purpose. Best possible facilities should be provided in the base camps," he said.

While laying emphasis on the essential facilities for those deputed on the arrangements of the Yatra, he underscored the need for all the duty personnel to ensure proper conduct all throughout.

He advised all the security forces and various agencies to continue taking strict action against miscreants and cover all the sensitive and vulnerable places including possible points of infiltration.

The Amarnath Yatra this year is scheduled to begin on July 1 and culminate on August 15. The annual pilgrimage, which attracts scores of pilgrims from around the world, generally starts from Pahalgam or Baltal.

Since the area in which the cave shrine is located is conflicted, there have been cases of terror attacks in the past in which devotees were injured and even killed. In 2017, as many as seven pilgrims were killed and 18 were injured after Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) terrorists opened fire on their bus in Khanabal in Anantnag district.