Srinagar, Apr 13: Union Home Minister Amit Shah Thursday expressed his gratitude and satisfaction over the lowest ever count of militants in Jammu and Kashmir and directed the security top brass of the efforts to root-out remaining militants to make peace a permanent feature.
The Home Minister while hailing the UT administration especially LG Manoj Sinha for massive developmental activities in J&K urged them to gear up for hosting the G-20 events in the month of May. Shah chaired the second-leg of the high level security meeting in North Block New Delhi at 3 pm today where National Security Advisor Ajit Doval, J&K LG Sinha, DGP Dilbagh Singh, Home Secretary Ajay Bhalla, DG CID R Swain and other top officials of the BSF, CRPF and intelligence wings participated. Besides, Director Intelligence Bureau Tapan Deka, R&AW chief Samant Kumar Goel, NIA Director General DG Dinkar Gupkar also participated in the meeting.
“The Home Minister expressed his gratitude and satisfaction over the lowest ever militant count in J&K. He hailed the efforts of police and other security forces for putting in their best to root-out militancy from J&K soil and directed them to step up anti-militancy operations to eliminate the remaining militants,” a source privy to the meeting, told news agency—Kashmir News Observer (KNO). The Home Minister, as per the source, directed the security agencies operating in J&K to maintain close coordination, keep a close watch on anti-national elements and ensure peace prevails in the UT. “The Home Minister stated that police, security forces besides the Central agencies including NIA should work together and maintain a close synergy to make peace a permanent feature,” the source said.
Today’s meeting comes a day after the Union Home Secretary took the first review of the officials at North Block. Sources in the MHA said that the Home Minister stressed on ensuring all the possible arrangements for peaceful conduct of G-20 meetings in Srinagar in the month of May.
“He hailed the efforts being put in by LG Sinha in ensuring fast track development in J&K. He asked the LG Sinha and officials to maintain coordination and ensure all arrangements for the G-20 meetings are put in place,” the sources said.
Pertinently, Srinagar city is going through a massive infrastructural revamp ahead of the G-20 summit. DGP Dilbagh Singh recently told reporters that for the first time the number of locals and foreigners was at an all time low in J&K and “efforts are on to eliminate the remaining ones.” The Home Minister also expressed his satisfaction over massive decline in the local militant recruitment and almost zero infiltration in the year 2022. As per official figures, 187 militants were killed in 111 anti-militancy operations in J&K in year 2022—(KNO)
