Prime Minister Narendra Modi appealed for maintaining peace and calm in the Valley on Tuesday. He also assured that every possible assistance and co-operation would be extended to the state government, Jitendra Singh, Minister of State for Personnel, Public Grievances and Pensions, said on Tuesday, shortly after Modi held a high-level meeting to take stock of the situation in Kashmir.
However, former Jammu and Kashmir chief minister, Omar Abdullah, was not happy about the lack of state representatives at the meeting.
I understand if @MehboobaMufti didn't leave the state to attend but why not by video conference? State unrepresented... We set up video links for all sorts of meaningless things but here where it matters to have @MehboobaMufti involved in the process - nothing," Abdullah tweeted on Tuesday.
Meanwhile, Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh postponed his trip to the United States to September, News18 reported.
Kashmir has been on edge after violence erupted following top Hizbul Mujahideen commander Burhan Wani's death last week. At least 32 people have died and hundreds have been injured since Friday following clashes between protestors and security forces.
Modi, who was on a five-day four-nation tour of Africa, was criticised for his silence on the violence in Kashmir. He was compared with United States President Barack Obama, who cut short his Spain trip after the Dallas shooting.
Modi returned on Tuesday from the tour, following which he was apprised of the situation, according to the Press Trust of India.
The Valley was shut down and curfew had been imposed in many places on Monday. However, incidents of violence continued to rock the region. The Anantnag district was one of the worst affected places, with 15 deaths (14 civilians and one security personnel), followed by Kulgam (7); Shopian (4) and Pulwama (3), Greater Kashmir reported.
"A head constable was abducted by a mob at Behibagh and held hostage," a spokesperson was quoted as saying by the Hindustan Times. The group holding him hostage wanted the release of a youth who was taken into custody for stone pelting.
On Monday, Home Minister Rajnath Singh held a high-level meeting with Union ministers, following which the Amarnath Yatra was resumed again. The meeting was attended by Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar, Finance Minister Arun Jaitley and National Security Advisor Ajit Doval. Doval had also accompanied Modi on the Africa tour, but returned following the unrest that began on Friday. Parrikar said that the Army was ready to be strengthen its presence if more forces were needed in Kashmir.
