J&K Police deny security lapse in Bharat Jodo Yatra; 'Didn't intimate about crowd'

After the Congress alleged security lapse during the Bharat Jodo Yatra, the Kashmir Police issued a statement on Friday. Taking to Twitter, the police denied Rahul Gandhi's allegation that the police system collapsed, with officers, who were deployed to manage the crowd, nowhere to be seen. 

"Full security arrangements were in place including 15 Coys of CAPFs and 10 Coys of JKP, comprising of ROPs and QRTs, route domination, lateral deployment, and SFs were deployed for high-ridge and other deployments," said the Kashmir Police on the microblogging site. 

From Banihal, the yatra was supposed to enter the Kashmir valley through Qazigund and reach Anantnag district's Khanabal area. In Qazigund however, the yatris halted, with senior Congress leader KC Venugopal alleging a security lapse in the Bharat Jodo Yatra. 

Congress general secretary in charge of communication, Jairam Ramesh, slammed the administration for 'stooping to a new low' by 'playing' with the security of Rahul Gandhi in the Kashmir Valley.

Addressing the matter, the Kashmir Police stated that only authorized persons as identified by organizers, besides the frisked crowd, were allowed towards the route of the yatra. The Kashmir Police said, "Organisers and managers of BJY (Bharat Jodo Yatra) did not intimate about large gathering from Banihal joining the Yatra, which thronged near the starting point." 

'J&K Police was not consulted...'

Coming to Rahul Gandhi's briefing in Anantnag, where the former Congress president announced that the yatra has been halted for the day due to security concerns, the Kashmir Police said in the statement, "#JKP was not consulted before taking any decision on discontinuation of Yatra after conducting 1 km yatra by organizers. Rest of yatra continued #peacefully. There was no security lapse at all. We will provide foolproof security."

Notably, the march will culminate with Rahul Gandhi unfurling the national flag at party headquarters in Srinagar and addressing a grand rally at the Sher-e-Kashmir Cricket Stadium on January 30.

Full #security arrangements were in place including 15 Coys of CAPFs and 10 Coys of JKP, comprising of ROPs and QRTs, route domination, lateral deployment and SFs were deployed for high-ridge and other deployments.

— Kashmir Zone Police (@KashmirPolice)