There was no security lapse at all, Jammu and Kashmir Police underlined on Friday soon after Rahul Gandhi criticised the breach at the Bharat Jodo Yatra, stressing that the “police arrangements collapsed”. Apart from Gandhi, several other Congress leaders questioned the administration over the arrangements for the foot march, which entered the Kashmir Valley on Friday. Former J&K chief minister Omar Abdullah was seen walking alongside Rahul Gandhi.
“Only authorised persons as identified by organisers and frisked crowd was allowed inside towards the route of Yatra. Organisers
and managers of the Bharat Jodo Yatra did not intimate about large gathering from Banihal joining the Yatra, which thronged near the starting point,” the police underlined in a statement. “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.”
The Jammu and Kashmir Police “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,” it further read.
