Rajnath Singh postpones visit to Russia, US, calls emergency meet

NEW DELHI: Home Minister Rajnath Singh today postponed his scheduled visit to Russia and the United States in the wake of the attack in Uri and the unrest in Jammu and Kashmir and called an emergency meeting to review the situation arising out of the terror strike.

Singh also spoke to the Jammu and Kashmir Governor and Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti on the situation arising out of the terror strike in Uri.

The Home Minister was scheduled to leave for Russia tonight for a four-day bilateral visit and later to the US on September 26 for a six-day tour to attend the Indo-US Homeland Security Dialogue.

"Keeping the situation of Jammu and Kashmir in mind and in the wake of terror attack in Uri, I have postponed my visits to Russia and the US," he said in a statement here.

The Home Minister said he has spoken to Governor N N Vohra and the Chief Minister and discussed with them the situation arising out of attack on a Army Brigade Headquarters in Uri and both of them apprised him of the overall situation in Jammu and Kashmir.

"I have given instructions to Home Secretary (Rajiv Mehrishi) and other officers in the Home Ministry to closely monitor the situation in Jammu and Kashmir," he said.

Terror struck an Army camp in North Kashmir's Uri town when militants stormed a battalion headquarters in the wee hours today, leaving at least 10 Army men injured. Four militants have also been killed.

The Home Minister also called an emergency meeting to review the situation arising out of the attack on the Brigade Headquarters in Uri.

National Security Advisor Ajit Doval, the Union Home Secretary, top Army, paramilitary and Home Ministry officials are attending it.

Unrest in Kashmir Valley has been continuing for more than two months ever since the killing of Hizbul Mujahideen militant Burhan Wani on July 8 in which nearly 80 people have lost their lives so far.

This was for the second time that Singh has cancelled his trip to the US due to violence in Kashmir. Earlier, he was scheduled to leave for the US on July 17 for a week-long visit but it was postponed due to sudden eruption of violence in Kashmir after Wani's killing.