• Union Home Minister Shri Rajnath Singh concludes two-day visit to Srinagar

Srinagar. 25 August 2016. In a visit which has been a cynosure of all eyes Home Minister Rajnath Singh announced that a nodal officer would be designated in MHA for looking into the greivances of Kashmiri people directly.

He promised to look into alternatives to pellet guns. “A committee set up to look into alternatives to pellet guns will give its report soon. We feel the need to have an alternative. We have asked the forces to exercise maximum restraint and they are doing that,” said the Minister.

In a meeting with the Chief Minister of J&K, Ms. Mehbooba Mufti the two leaders held detailed discussions on security situation and reviewed development projects. The Union Home Minister also held a meeting with the Governor NN Vohra and State Cabinet Ministers led by Deputy Chief Minister Dr Nirmal Kumar Singh.

He reiterated that the government will keep the doors open to separatists for talks. “We are ready to talk to those who believe in Insaaniyat [humanity], Jumhooriyat [democracy] and Kashmiriyat,” he said. On addressing the Kashmir problem, he said, “We have an understanding. We know how to address it.”
CM of J&K Mehbooba Mufti said 95 per cent population was for peaceful resolution of the Kashmir issue. “Only 5 per cent are resorting to violence and they will be dealt as per the law. There are some elements who use children as shield. They push them into the fire by sending them to attack security establishments,” she said, adding that she stood for peaceful resolution of the problem. She added no solution can be found by pelting of stones and attacking security camps.

The Home Minister reminded the state of the more than 4000 security personnel injured and appealed to people not to forget the role they played during floods in Kashmir.
During his two-day stay at the Nehru Guest House in Srinagar, the Union Home Minister held over ten meetings yesterday with a wide spectrum of political parties and chaired a meeting of Senior Officers of Security Agencies and State Government to review the security situation in the Kashmir Valley.

Delegations of all major political parties including the state’s ruling PDP and BJP, main opposition National Conference, besides Congress, CPI(M), regional People’s Conference, People’s Democratic Front and Democratic Party Nationalists held talks with Rajnath Singh.

This visit is an effort by the central government to restore normalcy in the Valley, which has been reeling under curfew and restrictions for now more than a month.