New Delhi : Expressing serious concern over the present situation in Kashmir valley post the killing of Hizbul Mujahideen commander Burhan Muzaffar Wani, Minister of State in Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) Jitendra Singh on Sunday called for collective fight against terrorism.
Singh said Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh is keeping a close watch on the entire sequence of events in Jammu and Kashmir at the moment.
“He has personally been in constant touch with the state administration and the state Chief Minister and has been regularly conducting review meetings,” Singh told ANI.
“At the same time, the security agencies are also maintaining a close coordination,” he added.
The Minister of State in PMO expressed hope that the situation will be back to normal soon.
“This is a very sensitive part of the year as on the one hand we have the Amarnath Yatra going on and on the other hand this is the tourist season which took off very well and, therefore, none of us would like the season to get disturbed,” Singh stated.
“This is collective and joint fight against terrorism and therefore, we should avoid the temptation of trying to seek some political mileage,” Singh added.
Singh also showered praise on the para-military forces, saying they have always done us pride and are continuing the same even today.
“I am of the firm opinion and a firm believer that we should never directly or indirectly say or do anything, which tends to lower the moral of the forces, which are working and operating under the most difficult circumstances particularly in the Kashmir valley,” he said.
Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh earlier in the day chaired a high-level meeting to review the law and order situation in the valley following protests over Wani’s killing.
Union Home Secretary Anil Goswami, Joint Secretary (Kashmir division) Gyanesh Kumar, Intelligence Bureau (IB) chief Dineshwar Sharma and senior Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) officials were present in the meeting.
The meeting took place in wake of the soaring violence in the valley as the death toll in the clashes between the security forces and protestors reached 15 with three more civilians succumbing to their injuries. At least 100 protesters were injured earlier on Saturday.
Violence erupted in south Kashmir districts of Anantnag, Pulwama, Shopian and Kulgam and later spread to other districts in the valley after security forces killed Wani and two of his associates in Bamdoora (Kokarnag) village of Anantnag district on Friday.
Wani was buried in his native Shariefabad (Tral) village on Saturday where nearly 40,000 people gathered defying curfew restrictions to take part in his funeral prayers.
(ANI)