Sanjeev Pargal
JAMMU, July 15: Indica-ting seriousness on part of the Central Government on unrest in the Kashmir valley, Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh today held another high level meeting in the Union capital to review security situation in Jammu and Kashmir including ongoing protests in the Valley for past eight days and annual pilgrimage to holy cave shrine of Shri Amarnath Ji, which remained suspended for second consecutive day today.
Official sources told the Excelsior that National Security Advisor (NSA) Ajit Doval, Union Home Secretary Rajiv Mehrishi, Joint Secretary Home (Incharge Jammu and Kashmir) Gyanesh Kumar among others attended the meeting and gave comprehensive briefing to Rajnath on the situation prevailing in Kashmir, ongoing pilgrimage of Shri Amarnath Ji in South Kashmir Himalayas and deployment of additional para-military forces and troops, moved from New Delhi and Jammu to the Kashmir valley during the past few days.
Sources said the top officials submitted a detailed report to the Union Home Minister on situation prevailing in the Kashmir valley including today, which was first Friday after the killing of Hizbul Mujahideen divisional commander Burhan Wani, who was killed at Kokernag last Friday evening.
The continued protests were “cause of concern” for the Home Ministry, sources said.
Though the Centre was satisfied with handling of situation in the Kashmir valley by the State Government as well as para-military personnel and police, it has once again reiterated the directive to ensure that no innocent was harassed. At the same time, it has stressed for restoration of complete normalcy in the Valley at the earliest.
According to sources, the Home Minister was also briefed about some incidents of militants mixing up with the crowd to target para-military and police personnel. In view of this report, the Home Ministry has asked para-military forces and police to take all precautions while handling with the protests.
It has also issued a set of advisory for para-military forces on dealing with the protests, movement from one place to another, protection of their bases and camps and deployment as protection for the VVIPs.
“The set of advisory was aimed at alerting the para-military personnel from attacks by the militants by intruding into the protesting crowd,” sources said.
They added that security arrangements and other facilities for the pilgrims of Shri Amarnath Ji cave shrine in South Kashmir, which has witnessed maximum protests in the aftermath of Burhan’s killing, also came up for high level review in the meeting.
The Home Minister was briefed by the top officials on security arrangements made for the pilgrims, progress of yatra and other arrangements.
Sources said the departure of pilgrims from Jammu base camp has deliberately been delayed by the administration in view of security reasons to ensure that the pilgrims convoy reached “disturbed areas”, where maximum stone pelting was taking place, during the night hours.
The yatra remained suspended for second consecutive day today as “security reason” as authorities were anticipating trouble in the Valley during Friday. However, sources said, the Home Ministry was completely satisfied with security arrangements made for the pilgrims of Shri Amarnath Ji cave shrine right from Lakhanpur, the gateway of Jammu and Kashmir, to holy cave shrine in Anantnag district of South Kashmir, located at a height of 12,457 feet from the sea level.
It may be mentioned here that the Union Home Ministry has sent 14 additional companies of para-military CRPF to the Kashmir valley while nine companies of Jammu and Kashmir Armed Police and one of CRPF was moved to the Valley from Jammu. Yesterday, Army had moved two battalions to Kashmir from Jammu.
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