New Delhi, May 21
Undeterred by the terrorist attack on Congress rally at Srinagar today, perceived to he aimed at scuttling the scheduled second roundtable meeting of Prime Minister with Hurriyat leaders, Dr Manmohan Singh would go ahead with his visit to Srinagar on Wednesday for the purpose, while Union Home Ministry has sent a team of its top officials to assess the situation.
“The Prime Minister is looking forward visiting Srinagar and participate in the second round table meeting on Jammu and Kashmir issue schedule for May 24 and 25,” Prime Minister’s media advisor Sanjay Baru here said.
The second round table meeting was being held as a sequel to the first one held earlier in New Delhi to find a lasting solution to the vexed Jammu and Kashmir issue.
On the other hand, the Union Home Ministry on instruction from Home Minister Shivraj Patil, who is away at Bangalore to attend an official function, took stock of the situation and dispatched a team of top officials, including those from the CRPF, led by G S Rajagopal, the Special Secretary (Internal Security) to Srinagar immediately after the reports of attacks reached here.
The team also accompanied two specialist doctors, who would assist the doctors in the state government hospital in Srinagar to treat scores of persons, including some police officials, injured in the attack, Home Ministry spokesman said.
He said that Patil described the dastardly attack by terrorists an attempt to derail the peace process initiated by the government in Jammu and Kashmir but they would not be allowed to succeed in their design.
“The Home Minister is in constant touch with Jammu and Kashmir Minister Gulam Nabi Azad,” the spokesman said adding that Patil was of the view that such attacks on innocent people would only “fuel their anger” against militants and help in hastening the peace process.
