Security breach in Bharat Jodo Yatra: J&K Police deny lapses; Omar echoes Rahul's allegation [details]

As Congress leaders are trying to rake up the issue of the security breach during the Bharat Jodo Yatra to corner the Union Territory administration, the Jammu and Kashmir Police issued a statement to refute all such allegations of the organizers.

There was no security lapse at the Bharat Jodo Yatra, a senior Jammu and Kashmir police official said on Friday while mentioning that the organizers had not informed the police about a large crowd joining the march from Banihal.

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.

"The Jammu and Kashmir Police were not consulted before the Bharat Jodo Yatra was discontinued. We will provide foolproof security to the Yatra," Additional Director General of Police (ADGP) Kashmir zone, Vijay Kumar, who is in charge of security in Kashmir Valley, said in a statement.

Only authorized persons and the frisked crowd were allowed toward Yatra

Countering allegations of Rahul Gandhi and other Congress leaders, the Kashmir Police stated that only authorized persons as identified by organizers, besides the frisked crowd, were allowed towards the route of the 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", police tweeted.

The ADGP further said that full security arrangements were in place including 15 companies of Central Armed Police Forces (CAPFs) and 10 companies of Jammu and Kashmir Police (JKP), comprising Road Opening Parties (ROPs), and Quick Reaction Teams (QRTs) route domination, lateral deployment, and Security forces were deployed for high-ridge and other deployments.

"Jammu and Kashmir Police was not consulted before taking any decision on discontinuation of the Yatra after conducting one km yatra by organizers. The rest of yatra continued peacefully. There was no security lapse at all. We will provide foolproof security", ADGP stated.

Omar echoes Rahul Gandhi's allegations of a security breach

Former Chief Minister National Conference leader Omar Abdullah Friday alleged that the outer ring of the security cordon maintained by Jammu and Kashmir Police "simply vanished" as soon as the Rahul Gandhi-led Bharat Jodo Yatra entered the Kashmir Valley.

"I'm witness to this. The outer ring of the cordon which was maintained by the Jammu and Kashmir police simply vanished within minutes of Rahul Gandhi starting to walk," Abdullah said in a tweet.

"We had just crossed into Kashmir from Jammu and were looking forward to the 11-km walk but unfortunately it had to be canceled," he said.

Earlier Rahul Gandhi called off today's foot march due to a security lapse

Rahul Gandhi earlier said he had to cancel his walk for the day because police arrangements by the Jammu and Kashmir administration "unfortunately completely collapsed".

As Rahul Gandhi started his march from Qazigund he was asked by his security team to stop due to the absence of police personnel to manage the large crowd that had gathered to receive him.

"Police personnel who were supposed to manage the crowd were nowhere to be seen," Rahul Gandhi told reporters here in a brief statement.

"Today, the police arrangements completely collapsed. There were no police officers present to control the crowd. My security team advised me not to continue the walk. It is crucial that the police put in place all the necessary arrangements", he said.