Union Home Minister Amit Shah will visit the Kashmir valley on June 30 and pay his obeisance at the Amarnath cave. However, the rising militant attacks on the security forces, cross border shelling and the casualties suffered by the CRPF and the Indian Army will be expectedly on the top of his agenda during the first ever Kashmir visit after taking over as the Home Minister of India.
The State BJP unit has confirmed that Shah will also review the security arrangements in the valley especially on the eve of the holy Amarnath pilgrmage which would be a two-month long affair. After Shah was appointed as the union home minister, there have been 14 militant attacks in various parts of the valley with several CRPF soldiers as well as top ranked Indian Army officers being killed. A Station House Officer of the J&K Police posted in South Kashmir was also killed during a suicide attack on a CRPF patrolling party on the busy market in Anantnag district of South Kashmir.
Bloody week in the valley
In the past week, 10 security personnel were killed and 23 others injured in various militant attacks. After Pakistan shared intelligence inputs with India of a probable IED blast near Pulwama region of South Kashmir, a similar explosion was reported from the Arihal village of Pulwama in which two soldiers were killed.The object of the attack was an armoured vehicle belonging to RR Rashtriya Rifles of the Indian Army. The police and the Army later collected the wreckage of the car that was used in the IED blast. Pakistan High Commision had earlier shared inputs with the Indian and US counterparts of similar type of attack in South Kashmir.
Tighter security norms on Shah's agenda?
The rising attacks on the security forces in the valley may figure in the agenda of the series of meetings that Shah is supposed to hold at Srinagar, according to security experts. Shah, who has been talking about giving greater autonomy to the security forces in the valley, may also bring up the issue with the concerned officials in J&K.
The State BJP will also launch its maiden membership drive to garner support ahead of the crucial State Assembly polls, which could be held in few months from now.
