Amit Shah begins 3-day J&K visit amid tight security
Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Saturday arrived in Srinagar to begin a three-day visit to Jammu and Kashmir. He was received by J&K Lt. Governor Manoj Sinha and Union Minister Jitendra Singh at the airport. Authorities have strengthened security arrangements around Raj Bhavan where Shah will be staying over the weekend. Here are more details on this.
Why does it matter?
Shah's visit comes at a time when J&K is witnessing a rise in terrorism involving Pakistan-based outfits and a slew of targeted killings of civilians. It also marks the Home Minister's first visit to the Union Territory since the scrapping of its statehood and special status in August 2019. The central government also wants to restart political processes in the UT.
Top-level security review meet today
Shah will chair a security review meeting at the Raj Bhavan this afternoon. That meet will be attended by Sinha along with top security, Army, and intelligence officials. He will also reportedly meet the families of those killed in the recent attacks on civilians in J&K. Further on Shah's agenda is the inauguration of a direct Srinagar-Sharjah flight.
Meetings with Youth Club members, village heads
Shah will also hold an interaction with the members of J&K's Youth Clubs at Raj Bhavan. On Sunday, he will travel to Jammu where he is scheduled to address a public rally. The next day, he is expected to meet sarpanches or village heads to listen to their concerns before flying out of the UT.
Security bolstered for Shah
Security arrangements have been tightened across the Valley in the wake of Shah's visit. The road leading to Raj Bhavan has been closed for traffic for the coming three days. Snipers, sharpshooters, and drones have been deployed at strategic places. At least 10 CRPF companies have been deployed in Srinagar. "Vehicles are being checked and pedestrians are being frisked," an official said.
11 civilians killed in J&K
At least 11 civilians have been killed by terrorists in J&K this month, five of them being migrant workers. Meanwhile, J&K Police said 17 terrorists have been killed in encounters across the Kashmir Valley over the past 22 days.
