Union home minister Amit Shah arrived in Jammu and Kashmir amid tight security arrangements on Monday on a three-day visit during which he will address two public rallies and inaugurate several development projects.
At Jammu airport, Shah was greeted by J&K LG Manoj Sinha, senior administration and police officials, and BJP core group leaders.
He will also chair a meeting with high-ranking officials to review the security situation in the Union territory.
The home minister will address two public gatherings in Rajouri of the Jammu division and Baramulla in Kashmir on Tuesday and Wednesday, respectively.
Political observers in J&K will be keeping a close watch on Shah’s visit, which comes months after the Election Commission announced the new demarcation of Assembly constituencies. Many even believe that Shah can make an announcement regarding the conduct of elections.
There is a huge enthusiasm among Paharis who anticipate that Shah may announce Scheduled Tribe (ST) status for them when he addresses a rally near New Bus Stand in Rajouri district on Tuesday.
On its part, the J&K unit of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has made massive preparations for the rally, including the mobilisation of a large number of party activists and the general public from other districts of the Jammu region.
All hotels, guest houses and other paid accommodations have already been booked for rally attendees in Rajouri. Some people from mountainous areas have started reaching the houses of their relatives in the district and nearby areas to join the rally.
J&K BJP president Ravinder Raina is keeping an eye on the arrangements.
After his arrival, Union minister Shah will meet some delegations including those from Gujjars, Bakerwals and Yuva Rajput Sabha. He is also scheduled to meet some senior BJP leaders on Monday evening.
In the morning the next day, Shah will fly to Katra to pay obeisance at the holy cave shrine of Shri Mata Vaishno Devi on the occasion of Durga Navmi.
“On Tuesday morning, Shah will visit Vaishno Devi shrine, situated at Trikuta Hills in Reasi district. On the eve of Ramnavami, Shah will perform a special pooja at Mata Vaishno Bhawan,” a source, privy to the Shah’s itinerary said.
Upon his return to Jammu, the Union home minister will inaugurate and lay the foundation stone of development works from the Jammu Convention Centre (JCC).
He will fly to Srinagar on the evening of October 4.
In Kashmir, Shah will address a massive public rally in Baramulla, a town considered to be the hotbed of terrorism in North Kashmir on October 5. Several senior BJP leaders from the Union territory are camping in the Valley to make the rally a success.
In Srinagar, Shah will inaugurate and lay the foundation stone of development works for the Kashmir division.
Shah will also chair a high-level security review meeting along with Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha on the afternoon of October 5. It is expected to be attended by the top brass of civil administration, police and Central Armed Police Forces (CAPFs), intelligence agencies and other security agencies engaged in anti-terrorist operations in the Valley.
Meanwhile, security has been stepped up across Jammu and Kashmir with additional troops deployed along highways and vital road links. The number of checkpoints has been increased in Srinagar, Baramulla, Rajouri and other parts of the UT.
Security has been beefed up, particularly in the areas where the home minister is scheduled to address rallies, officials told The New Indian. “There is a round-the-clock vigil at check points to avert any untoward incident,” they added.
In Baramulla, security agencies have stepped up the vigil and joint patrolling, sources stated.