Jammu: Jammu and Kashmir police on Monday
ruled out "any recent specific inputs" concerning the threat
to Vaishno Devi cave shrine from militants but said elaborate
security arrangements have been made to protect the shrine.
"Threats have always remained for the holy shrine. As
such, we do not have any recent specific input," Inspector
General of Police (IGP), Jammu Zone, Ashok Kumar Gupta told
reporters here.
Replying to questions over the threat to the shrine in
view of the statement made by government in Parliament
recently, the IGP said, "Let me make a request. It is a
sensitive issue, which was perhaps blown out of proportion."
It may be recalled that on March 2 in a written reply
to a query whether Vaishno Devi shrine in Jammu is one of the
targets on the radar of terrorists, Minister of State for Home
Affairs Mullappally Ramachandran had said, "Central security
agencies have furnished inputs based on intelligence
intercepts to that effect. It is not in public interest to
disclose these facts."
The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) had sent
advisories to the state government to prepare appropriate
security plans in order to secure and protect the religious
place.
"But that does not mean having said so we will or we
are planning to lower guards. Absolutely not," Kumar said in
reply to a question.
He further said that a series of meetings have taken
place to further strengthen the security of the shrine.
PTI
First Published: Monday, March 08, 2010, 17:56