Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh will arrive in Srinagar on Thursday to take stock of the security situation against the backdrop of the Centre’s unilateral ceasefire which began with Ramzan. A tour of forward areas and attending an ‘iftar’ to be hosted by Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti are on his itinerary.
The extension of ceasefire beyond Ramzan is also expected to be taken up by the Home Minister, who arrives here three weeks after the ceasefire was announced by the Central government on May 16. Sources said the extension of ceasefire was also being looked into in view of the Amarnath yatra which begins on June 28. Rajnath’s two-day state visit comes ahead of Eid-ul-Fitr that marks the end of Ramzan. Since the Ramzan ceasefire, this will be the second high-level visit to the state after Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s on May 19.
Senior officials in the Ministry of Home Affairs, who are involved in finalising Rajnath’s engagements during his J&K visit, said the Home Minister was scheduled to hold a meeting to review the overall situation in view of the ongoing unilateral ceasefire and the situation along the International Border in the Jammu region following the recent ceasefire violations by Pakistan.
“It goes without saying that the Home Minister will make a detailed review of the situation since May 16 when the Centre unilaterally announced suspension of anti-terror operations during Ramzan,” an official said, adding that the need for such an exercise was to assess and understand the impact of the move on the life of people and also whether to extend it. Rajnath will hold meetings with Governor NN Vohra and the Chief Minister. He will be taking stock of the security situation with the senior officers of the civil administration, police and other security forces. He is also scheduled to address a press conference on Thursday evening.
He will be visiting Jammu on Friday. The Home Minister’s visit comes amid an offer for talks to the Hurriyat Conference. Minister of State for Home Hansraj Ahir, who is likely to accompany Rajnath, said the Centre was ready to talk to anybody in the Valley, but that would be done only within the framework of the Constitution. The separatist amalgam has, however, made it clear that it was ready for a dialogue only if there was clarity on the initiative. The Home Minister will also review the situation along the Indo-Pak border, where cross-border firing has led to the death of at least 20 persons and evacuation of thousands this year.
The ongoing development projects, announced as part of the Rs 80,000-crore package announced by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, will also be reviewed in the meeting, another official said. During his stay in Kashmir, Rajnath will travel to the frontier district of Kupwara where he will review some projects being undertaken under the Border Area Development Programme. The Home Minister had a detailed four-day visit of the state from September 9 to 12 last year. He had then said the Centre was working towards a permanent solution to issues in Jammu and Kashmir. The solution, he had summed up, would be based on “five Cs — compassion, communication, coexistence, confidence building and consistency”.
Militants out to sabotage ceasefire: CM Srinagar: A day after militants attacked an Army camp in the Hajin area of north Kashmir, Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti said militants were “desperately trying to sabotage” the Ramzan ceasefire in the state announced by the Union Government. The cessation of anti-militant operations was bringing “great relief to people” of J&K, she said and added that the militants were “continuing with their violent activities”, she wrote in her tweet. The CM hoped that the militants “realise the futility of their actions soon”. “Even as we see the ceasefire bringing great relief to the people of J&K, militants seem to be continuing their violent activities and desperately trying to sabotage the process.
I only hope that they realise the futility of their actions soon,” Mehbooba tweeted.tns On the agenda The Home Minister is scheduled to hold a meeting to review the overall situation in the Valley and along the International Border in the Jammu region To hold meetings with Governor, Chief Minister To attend an ‘iftar’ hosted by the Chief MinisterTo tour frontier Kupwara district to review border programmesScheduled to address a press conference on Thursday evening