M A I N   N E W S

It’ll be PM’s docs vs Kashmiri chefs

Security personnel patrol the roads of Srinagar on Wednesday as the security in Kashmir valley has been beefed up two days ahead of Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee’s two-day visit. — PTI photo

Srinagar, April 16
Chefs specialising in Kashmiri cuisine are looking forward to luring the gourmand in Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee away from the dietary advice of his doctors during his visit to Jammu and Kashmir. Given the PM’s known weakness for sizzling mutton kebabs and succulent tikkas, chefs and officials here are hoping he bids a temporary goodbye to all dietary advice meant to keep his weight under check.

On one side of this interesting twist to the tale of Mr Vajpayee’s two-day visit beginning Friday are his doctors, for whom even an extra bite by their patient is enough to cause them heartburn, and on the other are the master chefs of Kashmir’s Hospitality and Protocol Department.

Kashmir’s traditional cuisine, Wazwan, has always been at the centre of every VIP visit to this land known for its hospitality. Jawaharlal Nehru often extended his scheduled visits to the Valley because of his weakness for the local cuisine. Known otherwise as a stickler for health, Nehru would throw caution to the wind when it came to Kashmir’s gustaba, rista and tabakmaz.

“Given the expertise of our chefs and what I learn about his weakness for good food, I can bet one to 100 that the Prime Minister would have put on a couple of kilos by the time he leaves the Valley,” said a senior official of the Hospitality and Protocol Department here.

Meanwhile, Chief Minister Mufti Mohammad Sayeed’s administration is trying hard to ensure that as many Kashmiris as possible come to listen to the Prime Minister when he addresses a public meeting. IANS

PM’s valley visit: 30 detained

Srinagar, April 16
Two days ahead of the Prime Minister, Mr Atal Behari Vajpayee’s visit to Kashmir, the security forces today detained at least 30 suspects from different parts of the city as strict security measures were put in place.

The suspects were picked up for questioning from areas located close to Sher-i-Kashmir Cricket Park — the venue of Prime Minister’s public meeting — at Sonawar in Srinagar during an operation launched to foil attempts of militants to disrupt the function, police sources said.

Though there were no intelligence reports of the possible attacks, all former militants who were released, had been asked to report at nearest police stations or security forces camps, the sources said.

Night patrolling had been intensified and roads leading to the cricket park sealed, the sources added.

The suspects were picked up from the Lasjan, Kursoo, Rajbagh Padshahibagh, Mehjoor Nagar, Dalgate and Panthachowk areas of the city, the sources said. PTI