Ahead of PM rally, security beefed up in Srinagar

Srinagar: A day before Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s rally at Sher-e-Kashmir Park here for boosting BJP’s Assembly election campaign, security was beefed up in Srinagar on Wednesday, officials said.

Security has been beefed up in Srinagar with a multi-tier ring in place. Officials have also sanitised vulnerable areas, ensuring the safety of attendees and locals alike.

Prime Minister Modi is scheduled to address the rally to boost the party campaign in the Kashmir Valley on Thursday.

The BJP is contesting on 19 seats out of the 47 Assembly seats in Kashmir Valley.

This will be the first public rally of PM Modi in Srinagar for the BJP candidates in Kashmir ahead of the assembly election and his third visit to the valley this year.

The Prime Minister earlier visited Kashmir on March 7 and addressed a rally at Bakshi Stadium and attended the International Yoga Day at the Sher-e-Kashmir International Convention Centre (SKICC) on June 21.

For the Thursday’s event, the security forces have established checkpoints at various places and they were seen randomly checking the vehicles entering Srinagar from other districts. They have also been deployed in large numbers along the roads leading to the venue of the PM’s rally.

Meanwhile, Srinagar city has been declared a “Temporary Red Zone” for the operation of drones and quadcopters as per provisions of Rule 24(2) of the Drone Rules, 2021, with immediate effect,” police posted on X (formerly Twitter).

“All unauthorised drone operations in the Red Zone are liable to being penalised as per relevant provisions of Drone Rules, 2021,” the police said.