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Srinagar: The central government, which is working on a three-pronged strategy in Jammu and Kashmir, is not going to make any changes in its policy at the moment. Amit Shah, who is on a three-day visit to Jammu and Kashmir, said on Saturday that the work of preparing the ground for holding assembly elections in the Union Territory is being done expeditiously. In this, work is being done on many issues including delimitation. After that elections will be held and then statehood will be restored. Home Minister Amit Shah’s visit is a clear indication that the central government will deal strictly with terrorists and the process of development will continue unabated. About 40 ministers from the Center have visited the union territory in recent months.
Home Minister Amit Shah’s current visit to Jammu and Kashmir was already proposed. It is in continuation of the ongoing visits of Union Ministers. However, in the meantime there has been an increase in terrorist incidents in the state and in response, the operation of the security forces has increased. This makes this visit of the Home Minister all the more important. Shah has made it clear on the very first day of his visit that the central government will not allow the process of development to be interrupted there and will work closely with the local people. It is also a clear message to the terrorists that any cowardly act of theirs will not back down the steps of the Center but it will be given a more stern response.
The Union Ministers and various Standing Committees of Parliament have made extensive visits to Jammu and Kashmir in recent months. Around 40 Union ministers have visited there and more than 200 MPs have reached there through various parliamentary committees. This is being seen as a big step towards bringing the state into the mainstream of development and building confidence among the people there. After his return from Nowgam, Shah reviewed the security situation. During this, he reviewed the steps taken to combat terrorism in the Kashmir Valley, especially after the killings of civilians, mostly non-local laborers and minorities.
During the meeting held at Raj Bhavan here, the Home Minister was briefed about the steps taken to eliminate terrorism from the Union Territory and the anti-infiltration measures by the security forces, officials said. He said the meeting was attended by the Lieutenant Governor and top officials of the civil administration, including senior security officers from the Army, Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF), police and other agencies.
Officials said that additional deployment of security forces has been made in the Valley. Security has been tightened especially here in the city. In view of the recent killings of civilians, 50 companies of additional paramilitary forces, about 5000 personnel are being deployed in the Valley, sources said. Officials said that CRPF bunkers have been set up in several areas of Srinagar as well as in other parts of the Kashmir Valley. In the year 2019, when Shah visited the Valley, he also met the family members of a martyred police officer.
Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) president Mehbooba Mufti on Saturday said the inauguration of international flights and medical colleges by Union Home Minister Amit Shah is a sham move, which will not solve the real problem in Jammu and Kashmir. He said ideally the home minister’s visit should have preceded further action on assurances given to union territory leaders during the all-party meeting called by the prime minister in June this year.
