Jammu prepares to receive Modi soon

Jammu and Kashmir is expected to witness another political debate as the BJP prime ministerial candidate Narendera Modi is scheduled to start his 'Bharat Vijay Rallies' campaign from Udhampur parliamentary constituency on Wednesday. 

It will be part of the series of 185 rallies which Modi will be addressing across the country from March 26. 

Sources told Deccan Herald that immediately after his arrival in Jammu, Modi will seek the blessings of Mata Vaishno Devi by visiting the shrine in Katra and will later address a rally in border area of Hiranagar in Kathua district. 

They said Modi will also hold a detailed meeting with the state BJP leaders to discuss the poll strategy for the Lok Sabha polls and the party’s performance in Jammu.

Meanwhile, security arrangements across Jammu have been tightened for Modi’s visit. Sources said that massive security exercise has been started by intensifying patrolling and strengthening checking at all entry and exit points across Jammu.

The venue besides being close to border is just a kilometre from the police station which was targeted by militants last year.

“We are taking all precautionary measures. The movement of locals has been restricted in and around the rally venue,” a senior police official said adding that a huge number of security personnel including personnel from Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) have been deployed to put up a tight security grid. 

He said that top ranking police officials from Gujarat have arrived in the state for security liaison. 

“The visiting Gujarat police officials held a series of meetings with the local security agencies in Hiraganar to draw map for the deployment of security personnel and to discuss other security related issues,” he added.

Pertinently, this is second rally of Modi in Jammu region in a span of four months. Earlier on December 1 last year, he had addressed a huge rally in Jammu city where he triggered a new debate over Article 370.