Deepanker Gupta
Udhampur, August 28
Uncertainty looms large over the reopening of APS and KV schools in Udhampur that were shut following the inputs of suspicious movement in the area on Thursday. Thorough search operations were launched in some areas.
A majority of government and private schools are functioning normally, but Army schools and Kendriya Vidyalayas are still shut due to security reasons. Over 10,000 students are suffering due to the closure of schools around the city.
APS No. 1 having strength of 3,500 and KV No. 1 with 4,500 students, besides APS No. 2 and KV No. 2 located on Dhar Road are still closed.
Army Public School principal Sanjeev Kumar said: “We don’t know anything, but as per the instructions and directions from the Northern Command regarding the security concern, the school has been closed and will be opened only after necessary directions from the authorities.” Parents of students studying in these schools said it was quite amazing that only these schools were shut due to security reasons as other government and private institutions were functioning normally.
On Thursday, panic gripped Udhampur after rumours of a possible terror strike started doing rounds on social media, even as the police dismissed it as “baseless”. However, the police sounded a high alert as a precautionary measure and asked the residents to not panic and report any suspicious movement. In view of the rumors, several schools in the district were closed for the day.
Even the Udhampur district police updated a post on Facebook saying there were intelligence inputs about infiltration through the Line of Control in Poonch-Rajouri belt.
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