A day after People’s Democratic Party (PDP) leaders staged a protest inside the Civil Secretariat here against the Pulwama killings, a heavy security cover was put in and around its premises on Tuesday.
“The Civil Secretariat security police kept a tight vigil on every individual passing around the Secretariat and surrounding areas. Since morning the security police in plain clothes were strictly screening every vehicle including official cars coming towards the secretariat premises,” sources said.
“The security officials did not even allow the police personnel in uniform who were deployed for security of outer ring, to enter inside the premises,” they said.
Sources said: “The general public were not allowed to gather close to the entry gate. They were permitted to enter inside only after 1.30 PM that too with proper entry pass along with proof to show that the visit was genuine.”
“At the main gate, there were long queues for entry pass and many visitors were asked to explain the nature of job they had visited for to the Civil Secretariat,” sources said.
They said that even the government employees who had come to the secretariat from their respective offices for some official work “were not allowed to enter before 2 PM without pass”.
Source said that frequent visitors and accredited journalists had to face a tough time for getting entry inside the Civil Secretariat and were allowed only after establishing ‘genuine’ cause for meeting the official(s) present inside.
“After yesterday’s incident, we got strict instructions not to allow anyone inside, who do not have a genuine work here,” top policemen of Civil Secretariat security told Greater Kashmir on condition of anonymity as they were not authorised to talk to media.
“Many politicians and social workers usually come here with supporters and personal staff but after PDP’s protest each and every car was frisked and nobody, expect the driver and the prominent persons were allowed to enter in the vehicle,” they added.
Yesterday, there was high drama, when several PDP leaders demonstrated inside the highly-fortified Civil Secretariat against the killing of seven civilians in Pulwama district on Saturday.
The protesters were led by Member of Legislative Council Firdous Tak, and former legislators Aijaz Mir and Yawar Mir had reportedly took some media persons in their cars, who did live coverage of the protest from inside.
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