Rajnath arrives on a two-day visit to Kashmir

Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh on Wednesday arrived here on a two-day visit to Jammu and Kashmir during which he is slated to review the security situation in the state and also pay obeisance at the holy cave shrine of Amarnath located in South Himalayas.

Accompanied by National Security Advisor Ajit Doval, Union Home Secretary Rajiv Gauba and other top officials, Singh chaired a high-level meeting with Governor NN Vohra to take stock of the security situation in the restive state.

“Union Home Minister held discussions with the governor at the Raj Bhavan on various important issues relating to security management, implementation of development programmes and positive engagement of the youth in the State,” an official spokesperson said and added the governor briefed the home minister about the ongoing Shri Amarnathji Yatra.

Rajnath will visit Amarnath cave on Friday to review the security measures on spot, sources said.

During his further meeting with security top brass, the home minister will be briefed about the measures take to minimise attempts by locals to disrupt anti-militancy operations by indulging in stone-pelting and protests during operations against militants in the Valley.

“The security top brass will also brief the visiting delegation about the steps taken to heightened vigil at the Line of Control and International Border to curb infiltration of terrorists linked to Lashkar-e-Taiba and Jaish-e-Mohammed,” they added.

The home minister’s latest visit assumes significance as security forces resumed the operations against the militants after calling off the Ramazan truce on June 17.

Since the resumption of anti-militancy operations, security forces have killed 13 militants in different operations across Kashmir. Three security force personnel and four civilians have also been killed since the truce ended in Jammu and Kashmir.

This is Singh’s first visit to the state after the withdrawal of Ramazan ceasefire and collapse of the Mehbooba Mufti-led PDP-BJP government.

Earlier, the Home Minister was received at the Technical Airport here by Advisors to the Governor— B B Vyas, K Vijay Kumar and Khurshid Ahmad Ganai, Chief Secretary BVR Subrahmanyam, Director General of Police Shesh Pal Vaid, Divisional Commissioner Kashmir Baseer Ahmad Khan, Deputy Commissioner Budgam Sehrish Asgar and senior officers of the paramilitary forces.