Amit Shah on 3-day visit to Jammu & Kashmir from today; first since abrogation of Article 370

Union Home Minister Amit Shah is set to begin his three-day visit to Jammu and Kashmir today. This is the home minister’s maiden visit to the Union Territory after the abrogation of Article 370. Commenting on the development, a senior police official said, “Shah will review security and development-related projects in Srinagar on Saturday and he will likely hold a public rally in Jammu on Sunday.”

Meanwhile, a total of 26 detainees were shifted to the Central Jail of Agra from Jammu and Kashmir under the Public Safety Act 1978. The order was issued ahead of Shah’s visit to the union territory.

Recently, after the killings of non-locals in Jammu and Kashmir around 700 people have been detained in the union territory, a few under the stringent Public Safety Act (PSA), police officials informed.

Amit Shah in Jammu & Kashmir: Here’s what’s on agenda

Amit Shah’s visit to Jammu and Kashmir comes as part of the central government’s mega outreach program in which 70 Union ministers are visiting the UT. During his trip –

• Shah will visit remote areas of the Kashmir Valley and the Jammu region and take stock of various development initiatives
• The home minister will also attend a high-level law and order meeting with senior officials of the UT administration, the police, the paramilitary and the Army
• On Saturday, the home minister will inaugurate the first direct international flight between Jammu and Kashmir’s Srinagar and Sharjah in UAE
• Shah will also chair a security review meeting in Srinagar and will also hold interaction with members of Jammu and Kashmir’s Youth Clubs on Saturday
• Amit Shah will address a huge public rally on October 24, the first in the winter capital after the abrogation of Article 370, said Jammu and Kashmir BJP president Ravinder Raina on Thursday

Raina stressed that the minister was going to address the first public rally here after the abrogation of Article 370 of the Constitution and the long-sought integration of the erstwhile state of Jammu and Kashmir with the rest of India.

Raina said that only Prime Minister Narendra Modi, with the charismatic companionship of Shah, could do this and give justice to Jammu and Kashmir and its residents.

“Now this is the time we show Shah Ji how we are grateful to him and Modi ji for this wonderful decision,” he said.

Security enhanced ahead of Amit Shah’s visit to J&K

Security has been tightened across Kashmir ahead of Shah’s maiden visit to the Valley after the abrogation of Article 370 on Saturday, officials said.

• A thick security cover has been thrown around the BJP office at Jawahar Nagar in the city where Shah is likely to pay a visit
• Similarly, roads leading to Sher-i-Kashmir International Convention Centre (SKICC) have been made off-limits for three days from Saturday as the Union home minister is expected to attend an event there
• Additional deployment of security forces has been made across the valley, especially in Srinagar
• Sources also said 50 companies of additional paramilitary forces are being inducted into the valley in the wake of the recent spate of civilian killings
• Bunkers manned by paramilitary CRPF have come up in several areas of the city as well in other parts of the valley. The aim of constructing new bunkers and putting more personnel on the ground was to cut the free movement of militants
• Officials said barricades have been put up on the roads across the valley, especially in the city, while frisking and checking of people has been intensified
• Mobile internet services on a dozen towers — mostly in the areas where non-local labourers were killed in the past week — were snapped three days ago as part of the security measures

The officials said police have started stringent checking of documents of two-wheelers plying on the roads and many have been seized by police.

However, IGP, Kashmir zone, Vijay Kumar had said these steps were purely related to terror violence.

News Credit: India TV News