MHA official to visit J&K to assess situation

NEW DELHI: Ahead of the maiden visit of home minister Amit Shah to J&K, a secretary level officer is being deputed by his ministry to assess the ground situation and identify security challenges.

The special secretary (internal security) at MHA is likely to visit for two days starting Tuesday and is expected to hold talks with all stakeholders, including the state government officials, an official told ET. The state is under president’s rule. The visit of a senior MHA functionary assumes significance after J&K governor Satya Pal Malik’s statement on starting dialogue with Kashmiri separatists.

Some second rung separatist leaders have been locked up in jail in connection with a terror funding probe by NIA. They have been accused of orchestrating stone pelting at the behest of Pak-based terror outfit LeT.


While the date of Shah’s visit to the valley has been kept under wraps, sources said he may visit the hill state towards the end of this month and may also perform the annual Amarnath yatra.

“Being a religious person, Shah has a strong bond with Somnath jyotirlinga. He became a trustee of the Somnath Trust, Gujarat in 2016,” according to the home minister’s official profile. This will be Shah’s first visit to state after BJP’s landslide win in the recent elections. Shah, officials said, was invited by governor Malik after he took charge as the home minister early this month.

Shah is expected to hold a detailed security review for Amarnath Yatra and likely to conduct his first briefing with the governor. He may also showcase the Centre’s scheme and development works in J&K under the Prime Minister’s package, successful completion of panchayat and municipal polls, officials said.