Srinagar was on Friday overrun by security forces, a day before Union home minister Amit Shah’s trip.

The city looked like a fortress, with people being frisked and checked at almost every corner.

The heightened security has served as a reminder of how the government continues to rely on jackboot tactics to keep the Valley calm. The two-day trip will be BJP leader Shah’s first visit to the Valley since the scrapping of Jammu and Kashmir’s special status in 2019.

Kashmir has been battling another ordeal after a spate of civilian killings this month. Security forces have over the past fortnight arrested hundreds and seized scores of two-wheelers.

Many in Kashmir have linked the security beef-up to Shah’s visit, although Valley police chief Vijay Kumar said the measures had nothing to do with the home minister’s trip and was “purely” related to “terror violence”.