Security beefed up as Congress, PDP, NC to observe August 5 as ‘Black Day’

Security has been intensified across the Jammu region, particularly along the Jammu-Srinagar and Jammu-Pathankot national highways, as the National Conference (NC), the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and the Congress have announced separate protests to observe August 5 as ‘Black Day’.

August 5 marks the seventh anniversary of the Centre’s decision to abrogate the special status of the erstwhile Jammu and Kashmir State under Article 370 and reorganise it into the Union Territories of Jammu and Kashmir, and Ladakh.

Police, the Army and the CRPF have stepped up security arrangements by increasing vehicle checking, frisking and surveillance at sensitive locations across the region, officials said.

Special checkpoints have been placed on high alert along the Jammu-Srinagar and Jammu-Pathankot highways, with security personnel conducting searches of vehicles and verifying the identity of commuters, they said.

Security has also been strengthened in border areas, where patrolling and area domination exercises have been intensified as a precautionary measure, the officials said, adding that additional deployments have been made at vulnerable locations.

The National Conference leadership will assemble outside the party headquarters in Jammu and stage a protest on Wednesday, party leaders said.

The Congress will hold a demonstration outside its Shaheedi Chowk headquarters, demanding restoration of statehood to Jammu and Kashmir, along with constitutional safeguards for land, jobs and natural resources, party leaders said.

The PDP will also hold a protest at its Gandhi Nagar headquarters to mark the occasion, its leaders said.