Jammu: Amid fears of another summer of riots and violence, the Jammu and Kashmir government has requisitioned additional forces from New Delhi to provide security during the upcoming Amarnath pilgrimage.
The state has asked for nearly 70 companies, or an estimated 7,000 personnel, for security of the pilgrims, official sources told IANS on Friday.
This would be in addition to the forces that the state has spared for the pilgrimage that starts on June 29.
The forces would have to be deployed from the first week of June.
Chief Minister Omar Abdullah said the state government was doing everything for the security and facility of the pilgrims.
"We are making all arrangements for the pilgrimage," he had told reporters on Thursday.
The annual Amarnath Yatra is an important part of the Hindu pilgrimage calendar. Thousands take part in the trek, organised by the state government, to the 14,000 ft high Amarnath Cave dedicated to Lord Shiva.
The summer of 2010 saw a series of massive riots in the state in which more than 100 people, mostly youngsters, were killed in clashes.
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