Union Home Minister Amit Shah arrived in Jammu and Kashmir on Saturday on an important three-day visit. This is his first visit to the UT after the revocation of Article 370 in 2019. He was accompanied by Home Secretary A.K. Bhalla, other senior officials of the home ministry, heads of the Central Armed Police Forces (CAPFs), and the intelligence agencies including the IB. He will travel to Jammu on Sunday, and then return to the Valley the same day in the evening. On Monday, he will fly back to Delhi.
This visit assumes significance in view of the recent targeted killing of civilians in Kashmir, including members of the Kashmiri Pandit and Sikh community. He will be discussing the security situation with the heads of police, CRPF and Army in Srinagar. The meeting will be the first of its kind in Kashmir after the recent violence.
Shah will also take stock of the implementation of the prime minister’s development package for Jammu and Kashmir. He will also meet J&K LG Manoj Sinha and discuss the security and developmental plans for the UT.
He will lay the foundation stones of two medical colleges at Udhampur and Handwara, inaugurate an IIT block in Jammu, address a public rally at Bhagwati Nagar, flag off the first Srinagar-Sharjah direct flight, and chair a high-level security review meeting on October 23. The security meeting is expected to discuss a security plan for the minority civilians in Kashmir. His three-day trip involves an interaction with panchayat raj representatives including panchs, sarpanchs, BDC and DDC members.
The home minister will also be briefed by the Army commanders about the ongoing operations in Poonch, one of the longest anti-militancy operations in which nine soldiers have lost their lives since October 4. There will be cultural and Sufi programmes during the visit.
Ahead of the home minister’s visit, security has been tightened across Jammu and Kashmir. In Srinagar, the police have seized hundreds of motorbikes from people, causing great anguish among citizens. The police and CRPF have also established scores of temporary checkposts across Srinagar. CCTV cameras, unmanned aerial vehicles, and sniffer dogs are also supporting the security setup.
