Achi news desk-
Srinagar: The security forces conducted flag marches across the Kashmir Valley on Saturday to instill a sense of confidence among the voters ahead of the Lok Sabha elections.
Officials said that the flag marches were conducted by the district police and the Central Armed Police Forces (CAPFs) across the valley.
“In view of the upcoming Parliamentary Elections-2024, the police along with CAPF have today conducted Flag Parades in various districts including Ganderbal, Baramulla, Pulwama, Kulgam, Sopore, Shopian, Bandipora and Budgam. These Flag Marches were held to instill a sense of security and harmony in society and to ensure free, fair and fearless elections,” the police said.
The police noted that the objective of these flag marches was to instill confidence in voters from a safe and harmonious environment, thereby enabling them to participate in the electoral process without any fear. “These measures underline the motto of ‘Free and fair elections, enabling all citizens to exercise their democratic right to vote freely and without restriction,'” said the police.
Senior police officers and CAPFs, and jawans took part in the flag marches, they said.
There are three Lok Sabha seats in Kashmir – Anantnag-Rajouri, Srinagar and Baramulla.
While Anantnag-Rajouri goes to polls in the third phase on May 7, polling in Srinagar will be held in phase four on May 13 and Baramulla in phase five on May 20.
Earlier on March 28, Additional Director General of Police (ADGP) for Law and Order Vijay Kumar assured a safe and fair election environment for all stakeholders.
Kumar, who is also the State Police Nodal Officer (SPNO) for the 2024 assembly election, was chairing a crucial high-level meeting at the Police Control Room (PCR) to assess and improve the preparedness for the election process.
The meeting focused on various aspects which are essential to ensure that the elections in Jammu and Kashmir are conducted smoothly.
The meeting was attended virtually by ADGP Jammu along with IG CRPF Jammu and other senior officers of BSF/CRPF/SSB and physically IG CRPF SOS Ajay Yadav, IG BSF Ashok Yadav, IG CRPF KOS G Verma, IGP Kashmir Zone V k Birdi, DIG CKR Srinagar, DIG SKR Anantnag, DIG SSB Kashmir, DIG CRPF North Srinagar, SSP PCR Kashmir, Staff Officer IGP Kashmir and other officers.
Key discussions during the meeting were about promoting security arrangements, particularly emphasizing security measures on site and conducting smooth polls. Plans for preparing safe routes for the movement of electoral personnel and facilitating the security personnel used for electoral duties were discussed in detail to ensure their safety and efficiency throughout the electoral process.
Furthermore, the meeting emphasized the importance of securing the strong room where the votes will be stored, highlighting the need for robust measures to protect the integrity of the electoral process. Special measures were identified for Critical polling locations and strategies were devised to ensure increased security measures at these key sites to deal with any potential threats and maintain the sanctity of the electoral process.
IGP Kashmir briefed the chairman about the existing security plans, after which ADGP L&O underlined the need to revisit and strengthen the security arrangements. Particular attention was paid to using manpower in a careful manner, ensuring a strategic location to monitor and respond effectively to any potential threats or weaknesses.
ADGP L&O emphasized the commitment of law enforcement agencies to uphold the principles of democracy by ensuring a safe and fair electoral environment for all stakeholders involved. The meeting ended with a directive to continuously monitor and assess the evolving security situation, focusing on preventive measures to mitigate any risks that may arise during the electoral process.
