Baltal, June 30: Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha on Monday said that all the arrangements have been put in place for the safety and security of Amarnath yatris.

Speaking to reporters after chairing a high level security meet, LG Sinha said this year arrangements are much better than previous years.

He said security agencies have formulated a comprehensive plan and are working in close coordination with each other for peaceful and successful conduct of the yatra. (KNO)

Srinagar, June 30: Five prominent petitioners in the Article 370 case have written an open letter to Chief Justice of India B R Gavai, urging him to constitute a bench to adjudicate the constitutional validity of Jammu and Kashmir’s loss of statehood and to set a concrete deadline for its restoration. They also sought legal safeguards to prevent any future government from unilaterally revoking statehood of any Indian state.

The signatories, former J&K interlocutor Radha Kumar, ex-Home Secretary G K Pillai, retired Major General Ashok K Mehta, retired Air Vice-Marshal Kapil Kak, and former Inter-State Council Secretary Amitabha Pande, expressed concern that the recent Pahalgam attack may be used as a pretext by the Union Government to indefinitely delay the promised restoration of statehood.

Highlighting the Centre’s repeated assurances in Parliament, particularly by Home Minister Amit Shah, they emphasized that such delays contradict the spirit of federalism and constitutional propriety. The petitioners called on the Chief Justice to take suo motu cognizance of their open letter and expedite the judicial review of the abrogation of J&K’s statehood.

The group also plans to reach out to Members of Parliament across party lines ahead of the upcoming Monsoon Session to raise the issue on the floor of the House.

They strongly countered the argument that the Pahalgam attack justifies the delay. “If anything, this is the right time for restoration,” the letter said, pointing to the peaceful conduct and high voter turnout in the October 2024 elections, which gave the National Conference an absolute majority and demonstrated a clear public mandate for elected governance.

The letter appreciated the way the local population distanced itself from the Pahalgam violence and pointed to NIA findings that the earlier police narrative blaming Kashmiris was baseless. It sharply criticized the Manoj Sinha-led administration for carrying out “unjustified punitive actions,” including house demolitions, which they said had caused widespread resentment.

The signatories warned that such actions, coupled with the exclusion of elected representatives from security and policy discussions, risk undermining the atmosphere of relative peace in the Valley. “The only sustainable path forward is through restoration of political and civil rights, which come with full statehood,” they stressed.

They also pointed out that the J&K Legislative Assembly had passed a resolution in support of statehood eight months ago, and that the Lieutenant Governor forwarded it to the President, yet no action has been taken since, despite reminders from the Chief Minister.

Further criticizing the Solicitor-General’s December 2023 statement that statehood would be restored in phases, the petitioners warned that this sets a dangerous precedent. “This approach dilutes the constitutional position that no state can be downgraded to a Union Territory. If the demotion was unconstitutional, restoration must be full and unconditional,” they argued.

They reminded that this was the first instance in India’s history where a full-fledged state was downgraded to a Union Territory, an act, they argued, that violated the basic structure of the Constitution which upholds India’s federal nature.

The petitioners also recalled that the Supreme Court, while not explicitly ruling on the constitutional validity of the action, had accepted the government’s assurance that statehood would be restored. Then Chief Justice D Y Chandrachud had urged timely action, and Justice Sanjay Khanna had outrightly called the demotion unconstitutional.

The letter concludes with an urgent plea for judicial and legislative intervention to restore Jammu and Kashmir’s dignity as a full state and to safeguard the federal fabric of the Indian Constitution. [KNT]

Anantnag, June 30: The Jammu and Kashmir Police in Anantnag district have temporarily banned the flying of drones in key areas along the Shri Amarnath Ji Yatra (SANJY) route, including the stretch from the Landing Strip to Pujtang, GDC Khanabal to the Holy Cave, and all base camps at Nunwan, Chandanwari, Sheshnag, Panjtarni, and the Holy Cave, which have been marked as “Red Zones,” officials said on Monday.

The officials said, “Strict action will be taken for violations”.

In a post on X, Anantnag Police wrote, “District Police Anantnag has declared a temporary Red Zone for flying drones in following areas: Landing Strip to Pujtang

GDC Khanabal to Holy Cave

At all base camps Nunwan, Chandanwari, Sheshnag, Panjtarni & Holy Cave

Adding that “Strict action will be taken for violations”.

Jammu, June 30: Jammu police has set up several checkpoints across the city to bolster security arrangements and carry out daily anti-sabotage checks ahead of the Amarnath Yatra, which is scheduled to start from July 3, officials said.

The 38-day annual pilgrimage is scheduled to start from the twin routes — the traditional 48-km Pahalgam route in Anantnag district and the shorter but steeper 14-km Baltal route in Ganderbal district — leading to the 3,880-metre-high Amarnath cave shrine.

The first batch of pilgrims will leave for Kashmir from the Jammu-based Bhagwati Nagar base camp a day before the start of the yatra.

“In view of the upcoming Amarnath Yatra, the Jammu Police has significantly bolstered the security arrangements by establishing joint nakas (checkpoints) at multiple strategic locations across the district,” a police spokesperson said.

He said the checkpoints have been set up in coordination with paramilitary forces to ensure a seamless and secure pilgrimage experience.

The checkpoints will be operational round the clock in high-sensitivity and high-mobility zones, including on national highways, city peripheries and routes leading to the Bhagwati Nagar base camp, the spokesperson said.

Personnel from police, Central Industrial Security Force (CISF), Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF), Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) and other agencies have been deployed for intensive frisking, surveillance and verification operations.

Senior police officers are personally monitoring the operations at the checkpoints to ensure alertness, professionalism and public convenience, the spokesperson said.

“The naka teams have been directed to maintain a balance between rigorous checking and respectful behaviour towards pilgrims and civilians,” he added.

Special attention is being given to vehicle checking, identity verification and detection of suspicious movement, supported by technical inputs and facial recognition systems (FRS) at vulnerable and crowded locations, he said.

“Instructions have also been passed to conduct random checks at hotels, guesthouses and lodgement centres,” the spokesperson said.

Police have urged citizens and pilgrims to cooperate with the naka teams, keep valid identity proofs and report any suspicious activity immediately. “Public support remains crucial in maintaining peace and order during the holy yatra,” the spokesperson said.

Meanwhile, Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP), Jammu, Joginder Singh, along with the group commander of the SPG and other senior police officers, conducted a comprehensive security review along the yatra route, from the traffic checkpost at Nagrota to Saloora along the Jammu-Srinagar national highway.

The high-level team inspected deployment points and interacted with officers deployed along the route, the spokesperson said.

“A detailed briefing session was held to apprise the officers of the current threat scenario and the standard operating procedures to be followed while performing duties,” he said.

The officers were directed to conduct daily anti-sabotage checks, particularly in areas where expressway construction is underway, which have been identified as vulnerable zones, he said, adding, “Emphasis was also laid on maintaining high alertness and ensuring coordinated efforts among all security agencies.”

The SSP underlined the importance of inter-agency cooperation and a timely response to any situation, reiterating the administration’s commitment to ensuring a safe and secure passage for all pilgrims.