Amit Shah in Srinagar on two-day visit, likely to chair security review meet
Srinagar, May 16
Home Minister Amit Shah is on a two-day visit of Srinagar from Thursday, during which he is likely to chair a security review meeting. Shah arrived at a Srinagar hotel where he is scheduled to meet local BJP leaders ahead of the remaining two phases of elections in Jammu and Kashmir.
A local BJP leader said Shah’s visit to Kashmir was not political. Sunil Sharma, the general secretary of the party’s J&K unit, said: “I think the Home Minister is coming to review the measures from a security point of view to increase voter turnout and create an atmosphere of peace. There is no political activity but BJP workers will meet him and discuss organisational matters,” he added.
No political agenda
The Home Minister’s visit to Kashmir is not political. Elections are underway. The voter turnout on May 13 is a huge success of the Centre’s policies, including the abrogation of Article 370. —Sunil Sharma, Gen Secy, J&K BJP
Sharma was referring to the Srinagar constituency, which went to the polls on May 13 and registered a voter turnout of nearly 38 per cent — the second highest in many decades.
Asked if a Jamaat-e-Islami delegation would meet Shah, Sharma said there was no such meeting scheduled. Any non-political or senior people can meet Shah but no political delegation is meeting him, Sharma added.
Shah is likely to be briefed about the security situation in Jammu and Kashmir by the top security brass as the Lok Sabha elections will be followed by the Amarnath Yatra, scheduled to start on June 29 and conclude on August 19. The Union Territory might witness Assembly elections after the yatra as the SC has set a deadline of September 30 for holding the polls.
A Pahari delegation led by Mohammad Younis Khan met the minister and thanked him for granting ST status to the community. A Sikh delegation also met Shah and it raised the demand of inclusion of the Punjabi language in syllabus of universities and reservation of seats in the Assembly for the community as granted to Kashmiri Pandits.
