With Violence marking the first phase of elections in the Valley, National Conference chief Omar Abdullah today asked the Centre and the state government to review the security arrangements for the second and the third phase.He said: ‘‘The violent incidents (in Baramulla and Kupwara districts) have exposed the security and the arrangements to counter militant attacks. The Government and the Election Commission should review the security arrangements before the second and third phase of the elections. Today’s incidents have shown that the situation is not under control in the Valley.’’‘‘Chief Minister Mufti Mohammad Sayeed owes an explanation now as he had claimed that the situation was right under control. this should serve as an eye-opener to the government,’’ he said. Hitting out at the government and the security agencies for not providing adequate security cover to him and his party workers, Omar added that he himself had a narrow escape at Gondipora Arijal in Budgam as one of his vehicles of the motorcade was targeted.‘‘The coalition government has taken our security lightly. Security of several of our workers has been withdrawn. It depends upon the government whether to give me a jammer or not, ’’ Omar said.He added that the police personnel responsible for providing security lack coordination. ‘‘We inform police about our rally or programmes hours before but with today’s attack we have started losing faith in the security. Unfortunately, the routes we use are not being sanitised, causing grave threat to our lives,’’ he said.Omar said he is entitled to Z-plus special category throughout the country but he is even deprived of a jammer. ‘‘Chief Minister Mufti Mohammad Sayeed and his daughter Mehbooba have separate jammers while I have to share a jammer with my father Dr Farooq Abdullah. I campaigned in the remote parts of Bandipora, Ganderbal, Kupwara and Tanghdar without any adequate security. If the government can’t provide me with security I can appeal to New Delhi to review it,’’ he said.Director General of Police Gopal Sharma said Omar’s security would be reviewed.
