Rajnath holds high-level meeting on Kashmir with NSA, IB, BSF chiefs
The meeting was attended by National Security Advisor Ajit Doval, IB Chief Dineshwar Sharma, BSF DG KK Sharma and Home Secretary Anil Goswami.
The street agitation, security restrictions, and separatist-called shutdown have disrupted normal life in the valley for 62 days now. “It’s a routine security review meeting. He chose to take stock of the situation, hence the meeting”, a Home Ministry official told IANS.
Deployment of security forces in the Kashmir Valley was discussed at the meeting, in view of the ongoing protests.
Earlier in the day, Rajnath also met Nabeel Ahmad Wani, a young man from Udhampur in J&K, who topped the BSF entrance exams this year.
Three militants and a policeman were today killed and six others, including an police officer, were injured in twin encounters between security forces and four terrorists in Poonch town of Jammu and Kashmir.
Meanwhile, protesters held a massive rally in Kulgam district shouting pro-Azadi slogans. The separatists have called for a United Nations chalo (march) on 13 September on the occasion of Eid – a festival celebrated by Muslims.
However, pellet firings have caused at least six deaths including one on Saturday when security forces fired at a protesting mob in a south Kashmir village.
Army chief General Dalbir Singh visited Kashmir on Friday-his 4th visit there in last 45 days-and assured support for bringing normalcy in the valley particularly the four restive districts of South Kashmir.
Authorities had yesterday imposed curfew in many parts of the Valley including in 12 police station areas of the city here in view of the apprehensions of law and order problems after Friday congregational prayers. Shops, businesses, schools and private and government offices have remained closed since July 9 – a day after Wani’s killing.