Days after advising political parties and election candidates against holding road shows for the upcoming parliamentary election, the police have started a massive security drill for adequate and foolproof security cover for the candidates in the fray.
Apart from providing security to the candidates, the policeand other security agencies, especially CRPF, have already startednight-patrolling, area domination and securing polling booths in the poll-boundareas as part of the larger security plan.
The army would also be called if needed.
A top police officer revealed that they are assessing thenature of threats to the candidates in the fray and also their category so thatadequate security cover is provided to them.
“There is a scale under which security cover is beingprovided to the contesting candidates,” said the official who is privy to thesecurity arrangements being made for the candidates of various politicalparties.
“The basic cover entails personal security, escort securityincluding vehicles and men and deployment of guards at his or her residence,”he said.
Asked whether the candidates, including senior politicianslike Dr Farooq Abdullah, who is contesting from Srinagar-Budgam seat, MuhammadAkbar Lone, who is in fray from northern Kashmir seat, and PDP chief MehboobaMufti, are also being provided “enhanced security,” the official said thosealready in the Z-plus and Z categories will be provided additional guards ifneeded.
A source said that many contesting candidates have requestedthe police to enhance their security cover in the wake of the suicide attack onthe CRPF convoy at Lehtpora in Pulwama on February 14 that killed 40 CRPF menand injured dozens of others.
“Besides the contestants, other politicians also haverequested for more personal guards,” he said.
Talking to Greater Kashmir, inspector general of CRPFRavideep Singh Sahi said that providing security to contesting candidates isthe responsibility of the police.
“CRPF is involved in area domination, night patrolling andsecuring polling booths. We are hopeful that polls would pass off peacefully.Elaborate security arrangements are in place to foil any move by militants todisrupt the polls,” he said.
As per the groundwork conducted by the forces, 70 per centof polling booths in northern Kashmir Lok Sabha seat have been declaredhypersensitive and 30 per cent sensitive. Similarly, in southern Kashmir andcentral Kashmir, 90 per cent polling booths are hypersensitive and 10 per centsensitive.