HM Amit Shah in Kashmir, to hold security review meetings today

Srinagar, April 8 (IANS) Union Home Minister Amit Shah, who is on a three-day visit to Jammu and Kashmir, will hold security review meetings on Tuesday.

After a nightlong stay at the Raj Bhawan in Srinagar, he will start his busy schedule around 11 am and also review various developmental projects in the Union Territory (UT).

J&K Lt. Governor Manoj Sinha and Chief Minister Omar Abdullah will attend the developmental review meeting chaired by Amit Shah.

Later, the Home Minister will chair a security review meeting, which will be attended by Union Home Secretary Govind Mohan, director IB, Tapan Deka, senior officers of the MHA dealing with J&K affairs, chiefs of J&K Police, paramilitary forces and officers of intelligence agencies. Both these meetings are scheduled to be held at the Raj Bhawan.

After his arrival here on Monday, Amit Shah went to the Humhama area near the Srinagar International Airport to meet the family of martyred J&K Police Dy SP, Humayun Bhat. The home minister offered his condolences to the family. He stayed for nearly 20 minutes with Ghulam Hassan Bhat, retired IGP, father of Humayun. He also offered condolences to Fatima, wife of the martyred police officer and blessed the 20-month old child of the officer.

L-G Manoj Sinha and CM Omar Abdullah accompanied the home minister during his visit to the martyr’s family. Humayun was killed on September 13, 2003, while fighting a group of terrorists in the forests of Kokernag Tehsil in the Anantnag district. Known for his professionalism and bravery, the officer was posthumously awarded the Kirti Chakra. The home minister then went to the Raj Bhawan, where he met some individuals and delegations before retiring for the day.

During his visit to Jammu, Amit Shah met the families of four policemen martyred while fighting terrorists in the Kathua district. He gave compassionate appointment orders to the next of kin of the martyrs.

He said during his interaction in Jammu that terrorism was down but not yet fully out in J&K. He assured that the situation would soon be brought to complete normalcy.

He had a closed-door meeting with members of the BJP and RSS at the Jammu residence of Sunil Sharma, the Leader of Opposition in the J&K Assembly.

During his visit to the border outpost of the BSF in Kathua on Monday, the home minister praised the BSF for being an elite border sentinel force of the country. He said cutting-edge technology is being provided to the BSF for complete tech-driven surveillance of the border.

He told the deployed BSF jawans that the country holds the force in high esteem because of their commitment to duty and protection of the country’s frontiers. “You discharge duties round the year, 24 hours a day and in torrential rain, extreme cold or 45-degree heat. BSF has a glorious past, and you genuinely deserve the prestige the force has earned among the countrymen,” he told the BSF officers and jawans.

After completing his schedule in Srinagar, Amit Shah will return to Delhi in the afternoon.

--IANS

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