Vaishno Devi shrine security beefed up

JAMMU - The security of the Vaishno Devi shrine in Jammu and Kashmir will be strengthened as it faces a threat of terror attack, an official said here Friday.

The decision was taken at a meeting chaired by Governor N.N. Vohra. Senior security officials, including Director General of Police Kuldeep Khoda and Additional Director General of Police (CID) K. Rajendra, attended the meeting here.

The official of Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Shrine Board said the security was tightened in view of a threat of a terror attack.

“The security forces are fully prepared to meet any eventuality,” Khoda told IANS.

A battalion of the Indian Army guards the mountainous area around the shrine while the 13-km track is jointly guarded by the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) and the Jammu and Kashmir police.

But there are fresh inputs with the security agencies that terrorists might strike at the shrine or pilgrims visiting the shrine.

“The security situation was reviewed and it was decided to strengthen it because of the nine-day-long navratras (considered holy by Hindus) beginning March 16,” the shrine official said.

The pilgrim rush is very heavy, sometimes touching over 40,000 a day during these nine days as “navratras” is considered an auspicious period for undertaking pilgrimage.

The shrine attracts more than 7.5 million pilgrims from all across India. It has been under the threat of terrorist strike since 1980s.

In 2003, terrorists had lobbed a grenade at Banganga, the starting point of the pilgrimage, two km ahead of Katra. Seven pilgrims were killed and more than 20 were injured.