Hurriyat leaders claim Rajnath Singh's visit a 'farce and non-serious exercise'

SRINAGAR: On a day when Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh, arrived in Srinagar on two-day visit to Valley to interact with politicians and civil society groups, another youth was killed during protests in Pulwama district of south Kashmir taking death toll to 68 in last 47 days. The Hurriyat leaders have termed the visit of Singh as 'farce and non-serious exercise' and issued another protest calendar extending the strike call till September 1. They have decided to march towards 15 Corps of Indian Army in Badami Bagh area in Srinagar, on August 27, asking the GOC to vacate J&K.

Syed Ali Geelani, who is under house arrest, while addressing a gathering over phone in south Kashmir, said, "No solution under the ambit of Indian Constitution is acceptable to the people of J&K." This is Singh's second visit to J&K in a month. The march towards Army base, Mirwaiz Umer Farooq, said has been planned in wake of recent statement of Northern Army commander, Lt Gen D S Hooda, who stressed on engagement with Hurriyat leaders to resolve the current crisis.

Hurriyat would also distribute letters among Army, CRPF, BSF, ITBP and CISF asking them to leave the state. "He (Rajnath Singh) is just doing a PR exercise. India has to recognize Kashmir as a political dispute and resolve it, either through international agreements or dialogue with Pakistan and people of Jammu and Kashmir," Mirwaiz, who is under house arrest, told ET.

The visit of Home Minister, Mirwaiz said, is happening at a time, when Army, BSF, CRPF and police is on roads to 'kill or control' every single resident of the Valley. Situation in Valley continues to remain tense with continuous curfew and communication blockade for 47 days now. Massive protests took place in Pulwama district on Wednesday. in which. a teenager Muhammad Amir was killed and scores injured.

Unidentified militants also hurled a grenade on police party in Pulwama in which three senior police officials were injured. In Srinagar, on Wednesday afternoon, former J&K chief minister Omar Abdullah of National Conference, Ghulam Ahmad Mir of Congress and other pro-India politicians met Singh on Wednesday and apprised him about the current situation in the state.

The meetings with politicians stretched till late evening and would continue on Thursday as well. Singh is staying at historical Nehru Guest House at Zabarwan foothills on the banks of Dal Lake.