Home Minister Rajnath's two-day Jammu and Kashmir visit begins

Rajnath Singh

Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh will arrive at Jammu and Kashmir's Srinagar on Thursday for a two-day visit to the state. The Home Minister, after reviewing law and order situation with the state Governor N.N.Vohra, Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti and senior officials of various state and Central departments, will take a call on whether the present suspension of operations against the militants would be extended after the Eid festival to cover the annual Amarnath Yatra.

Security for the Amarnath Yatra, beginning on June 28, will be reviewed by the Home Minister during his stay in the state.

While the state government wants the continuation of the Ramadan ceasefire beyond the Eid, top sources suggest the field commanders of the Army have argued that the cessation of hostilities from only one side is helping the militants to regroup and increase their numbers through recruitment of local boys.

Another important agenda on the Home Minister's priority list would be to deliberate upon the response of the separatist leaders to the offer of talks.

While Singh has said that the Centre is ready to talk to everyone including the separatists, BJP's National General Secretary Ram Madhav recently made an offer to the separatists to engage in a meaningful dialogue with the Centre.

The separatist leaders have been demanding clarity in the talks offer so that their engagement in the dialogue would yield results.

A Muzaffarabad-based conglomerate of armed groups, the United Jehad Council (UJC), has applied breaks on any imminent possibility of the Kashmiri separatist leaders to engage with the Indian government.

A statement issued by the UJC a few weeks earlier said that talks would only be held with the Indian government once India accepts Kashmir as a dispute.

In addition to his all-important security and political agenda, the Home Minister will also review the implementation of various Centrally sponsored developmental programmes.

On the second day of his visit, the Singh will review the security along the international border in Jammu and also deliberate on the situation that has been arising because of the migration of border residents each time Pakistan violates the bilateral ceasefire on the border.

Jitendra Singh, MoS (PMO), and a team of senior Home Ministry officials will accompany Singh during the visit.

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