Abid Bashir
Srinagar, Jun 23: Union Home Minister Amit Shah Friday chaired a security review meeting in Srinagar and expressed his satisfaction over the fast changing security scenario in the Valley besides giving final touches to the security plan for upcoming Amarnath Yatra. Praising the security agencies of the UT, Shah stated that “he will go back to Delhi fully satisfied as he felt peace prevailing in the air.”
The Home Minister arrived on a two-day visit to J&K. He addressed a rally in Jammu and also addressed a gathering at Rajbhawan Srinagar. He also addressed a function at SKICC. Reliable sources said that Shah chaired a high level security meeting at Rajbhawan this evening in which Union Home Secretary Ajay Kumar Bhalla, J&K LG Manoj Sinha, Chief Secretary A K Mehta, Divisional Commissioners of Kashmir and Jammu, Home Secretary J&K R K Goel, DG NIA, J&K DGP, GoC 15 Corps, Special DG CID, top officials of CRPF, BSF and SSB, were present. SSP Srinagar and DC Srinagar also participated in the meeting.
Shah, as per sources, was given a brief on the prevailing security situation and security plan to be put in place for the Amarnath Yatra commencing on July 1. J&K police along with other security agencies—army, CRPF, BSF and SSB have already finalized the security plan for the Yatra. “The Home Minister directed to make some last minute changes to the plan to ensure fool-proof cover the pilgrims,” a source privy to the meeting said, adding that special focus of this year’s yatra will be quick response teams (QRTs) of security agencies in case of natural calamities like cloudburst etc.
“Given last year’s cloud burst that claimed the lives of over a dozen yatris, this year QRTs will be deployed along the cave shrine route to ensure immediate evacuation. Shah stressed to lace the QRTs with all necessary equipment for meeting eventualities and ensuring minimum damage to life of pilgrims,” the source disclosed.
On the security front, Shah praised the security agencies for ensuring a peaceful atmosphere in Kashmir and eliminating a large number of terrorists since the abrogation of Article 370. “He also hailed the synergy among security agencies and hoped that the remaining miniscule number of active terrorists will also be killed shortly,” the source said, adding that “the Home Minister also expressed satisfaction on zero local militant recruitment.” As per the source, he also reiterated that no innocent should be touched while terrorists and accused should be punished sternly.
Shah, the sources said, called for a war against narco-terror and urged the security top brass to widen the net to prevent intrusion of narcotics into J&K from across. Sources said that Shah also directed the security top brass to go hard against the supporters of terror.
The Home Minister also hailed the civic action programs of all security agencies and the massive participation of youth into such programs. He also congratulated the security grid for successful and peaceful G-20 event in Srinagar.
In his speech, Shah, as per sources, expressed his satisfaction over the prevailing peaceful scenario in Kashmir. “I am going back to Delhi fully satisfied. I can feel the peace prevailing in the air,” a source quoted, Shah as having said in the meeting.
