No untoward incident was reported in Jammu and Kashmir on Republic Day, observed amid a massive security cover.
People in the Kashmir Valley stayed indoors and the streets were empty except for thousands of police personnel and soldiers.
The main function was held at the Maulana Azad Stadium in Jammu where Governor N.N. Vohra took the salute. After hoisting the flag, the Governor in his address blamed the consistently “negative trans-border factors and recurring challenges to the maintenance of peace and normalcy” for the State’s inability to achieve the “required pace for securing its growth and developmental goals.”
On the political situation, the Governor said: “The recent elections to the State Assembly did not yield a clear-cut verdict. I am hopeful that the present spell of governance under my charge will soon come to an end, when the elected representatives form a government and take over the responsibility of running the affairs of Jammu and Kashmir.”
The main function was held at Srinagar’s Bakshi Stadium amid a three-tier security cover. State Divisional Commissioner Rohit Kansal hoisted the tricolour while contingents from the J&K Police, the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF), the Border Security Force (BSF) and the Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP), the IRP, the Women’s Police Force, the District Police, NCC, Fire & Emergency Services, and school students participated in the celebrations.
The city was heavily fortified with barricades, loops of concertina wires and checkpoints every few kilometres on the streets.
