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Shinde arriving today to review security

KT NEWS SERVICE. Dated: 10/11/2012 11:21:55 PM

JAMMU, Oct 11: Union Home Minister Sushil Kumar Shinde is arriving in the winter capital tomorrow on the first leg of his two-day visit to Jammu and Kashmir to review prevailing security scenario, particularly in the wake of “increased attempts of infiltration from across the border”, both at Line of Control and International Border (IB).
Shinde will begin his day-long visit to Jammu region from the border district Poonch, which even on the eve of his visit witnessed an infiltration bid along LoC in Mendhar tehsil.
In the evening, he will leave for summer capital where again he will remain engaged in review meets with the top brass of different wings of security establishment on October 13. The visit of the Union Home Minister has assumed great significance in the face of reports of “fresh efforts by militant groups to form a common linkage and foment trouble.”
Union Minister for Health Ghulam Nabi Azad too may accompany him. Congress sources, however, did not confirm these inputs saying Azad would be off to Chennai for his already scheduled visit.
In the meanwhile, to seek Union Home Minister’s attention, Youth All India Kashmiri Samaj (YAIKS) has announced to hold a protest rally tomorrow against “non-implementation of Prime Minister’s package for Kashmiri migrants” announced in April 2008.
As per his schedule, the Union home Minister will arrive at Jammu Technical Airport at around 8.15 AM and will immediately fly to Poonch to take stock of the situation in forward areas along Line of Control (LoC). The district in the recent past has witnessed repeated infiltration bids and ceasefire violations from across the border, triggering exchange of fire from both the sides.
Shinde is also expected to visit Chakkan Da Bagh, the major point of cross-LoC bus service and trade to keep himself, abreast of the latest developments. From Poonch, he will be back to Jammu for his visit along International Border (IB) to Octroi Post at Suchetgarh in R S Pura.
He is likely to interact with the locals during his visit to forward areas along borders particularly at R S Pura.
At 1.00 PM, he will reach State Guest House where he is likely to meet certain deputations representing different sections of society, including those belonging to varied political groups. At around 4.00 PM, he will visit historic Raghunath temple to pay his obeisance.
This will be his last engagement in the winter capital before leaving for Srinagar tomorrow evening for security review.
The Union Home Minister on Wednesday, in a press conference in the union capital, had stated, “To know the level of infiltration, I am visiting Jammu and Kashmir… where I will hold review meeting. I will visit Kashmir (Valley) as well as Jammu. I will also visit border points which are prone to infiltration.”
Regarding recent attempts of infiltration, Shinde had said, “We have information about infiltration and we also have information about cooperation between those who attempt infiltration in Punjab and those who attempt in Jammu and Kashmir. The prime objective of my visit is to evaluate as to how the efforts aimed at increasing infiltration are taking place amidst reports of a common factor active on both the fronts.”
He admitted that there were reports of some kind of linkage in efforts being made in Punjab and Kashmir to restart militant activities saying that “We have reports some efforts are being made by certain vested interests in this regard.” However, he did not identify the common linkage between militancy related factors in the two border-states.
This will be Shinde’s second visit to the state, after taking over the reins of Home Ministry a couple of months back. However in his first visit, only the Ladakh region was part of his itinerary where he took stock of situation prevailing along hot borders of the cold desert, both in Leh and Kargil districts, in the wake of heightened activities of China on one side and Pakistan on the other side.
To express their resentment against “non-implementation of Prime Minister’s package for Kashmiri migrants” announced in April 2008, Youth All India Kashmiri Samaj (YAIKS) has announced to hold a protest rally tomorrow to grab Union Home Minister’s attention.
The protest demonstration in the form of scooter rally will start from YAIKS headquarter Muthi at around 10.00 AM and will culminate at Press Club at 11.30 AM.