Modi reviews Kashmir unrest; Omar questions Mufti's absence from meet

Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who returned home on Tuesday after his four-nation Africa tour, is chairing a high-level meet in the national capital to review the law and order situation in Jammu and Kashmir, which has been on the boil since the killing of top Hizbul Mujahideen commander Burhan Wani.

Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh is gave a detailed brief to Modi on the ongoing turmoil in the state and the measures taken by the Central government to bring the situation under control. Top BJP leaders, including Sushma Swaraj, Arun Jaitley and Manohar Parrikar were also in attendance.

Rajnath Singh was to visit the US to attend the Indo-US Homeland Security Dialogue scheduled for next week but he postponed his trip in view of the unrest in Kashmir.

National Conference leader Omar Abdullah criticised Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti for not taking part in the crucial meeting and leaving the state unrepresented.

However, a senior official in Jammu and Kashmir clarified that since it was a briefing by central ministers on the Kashmir situation, Mehbooba had no role in the high-level meeting.

Almost all separatist leaders continued to remain in preventive custody or under house arrest. In a joint decision announced on Monday, they extended the strike call initially issued to mourn and protest the killing of Wani for two more days (Tuesday and Wednesday) in view of the killing of protesters in security forces’ firings. The Internet services on mobile phones and through dongles have been suspended “as a precautionary measure”. Internet services are, however, functioning on fixed broadband lines.

Train services between Baramulla in northwest Kashmir and Banihal town across the Pirpanjal mountain ridge in Jammu division also remained suspended on the third consecutive day whereas Jammu and Kashmir Board of School Education (JKBOSE), Kashmir University and Central University, Kashmir have cancelled all examinations which were scheduled during this week.

Chief Minister, Mehbooba Mufti, on Monday again sought “wholehearted” cooperation of the people towards restoration of peace and normalcy in the Valley “to prevent further loss of precious lives and destruction of public and private properties”. She said the government is taking various measures to restore calm and it needs support of the people in this endeavour.

She said, “I appeal all sections of the society including the political leaders, media, the religious heads, the business community and the prominent citizens to rise to the occasion and help the government in restoring peace and normalcy in the Kashmir in the wake of the prevailing law and order situation.”

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She said the J&K police and the paramilitary forces have been asked to exercise maximum restrain to avoid loss of lives or grievous injuries. “My heart goes out to the families of the youth, including the civilians and the policeman, who lost their lives in the latest spate of violence. We have already lost a generation to bloodshed and violence, and can’t afford to live amidst prevailing political uncertainties with young boys getting killed every day,” she said.

Mufti alleged that some elements are hell bent upon fomenting trouble, mayhem and bloodshed in Kashmir for their vested interests and are playing with the lives of the innocent youth by instigating them to indulge in extreme violence resulting in a vicious cycle of frenzy and bloodshed.

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