Srinagar
Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh will arrive in Srinagar on Thursday to take stock of the security situation against the backdrop of the Centre’s unilateral ceasefire which began with Ramzan. A tour of forward areas and attending an ‘iftar’ to be hosted by Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti are on his itinerary.

The extension of ceasefire beyond Ramzan is also expected to be taken up by the Home Minister, who arrives here three weeks after the ceasefire was announced by the Central government on May 16.

Sources said the extension of ceasefire was also being looked into in view of the Amarnath yatra which begins on June 28.

Rajnath’s two-day state visit comes ahead of Eid-ul-Fitr that marks the end of Ramzan. Since the Ramzan ceasefire, this will be the second high-level visit to the state after Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s on May 19.

Senior officials in the Ministry of Home Affairs, who are involved in finalising Rajnath’s engagements during his J&K visit, said the Home Minister was scheduled to hold a meeting to review the overall situation in view of the ongoing unilateral ceasefire and the situation along the International Border in the Jammu region following the recent ceasefire violations by Pakistan.

“It goes without saying that the Home Minister will make a detailed review of the situation since May 16 when the Centre unilaterally announced suspension of anti-terror operations during Ramzan,” an official said, adding that the need for such an exercise was to assess and understand the impact of the move on the life of people and also whether to extend it.

Rajnath will hold meetings with Governor NN Vohra and the Chief Minister. He will be taking stock of the security situation with the senior officers of the civil administration, police and other security forces. He is also scheduled to address a press conference on Thursday evening. He will be visiting Jammu on Friday.

The Home Minister’s visit comes amid an offer for talks to the Hurriyat Conference. Minister of State for Home Hansraj Ahir, who is likely to accompany Rajnath, said the Centre was ready to talk to anybody in the Valley, but that would be done only within the framework of the Constitution. The separatist amalgam has, however, made it clear that it was ready for a dialogue only if there was clarity on the initiative.

The Home Minister will also review the situation along the Indo-Pak border, where cross-border firing has led to the death of at least 20 persons and evacuation of thousands this year. The ongoing development projects, announced as part of the Rs 80,000-crore package announced by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, will also be reviewed in the meeting, another official said.

During his stay in Kashmir, Rajnath will travel to the frontier district of Kupwara where he will review some projects being undertaken under the Border Area Development Programme.