Amit Shah meets NSA Ajit Doval to discuss Kashmir security-crisis
Home Minister Amit Shah on Sunday held a high-level meeting with National Security Advisor (NSA) Ajit Doval and several other top security officials at the Parliament to discuss the Kashmir security crisis. The meeting was also attended by Home Secretary Rajiv Gauba, Intelligence Bureau (IB) chief Arvind Kumar, Research and Analysis Wing (RAW) chief Samant Kumar Goel, and senior Home Ministry officials. Here's more.
The meeting was held to review the law and order situation in Jammu & Kashmir and discuss the security crisis. This comes days after the Center reinforced security across the Kashmir Valley in the wake of a terror threat.
The Center earlier deployed a huge number of security personnel in J&K after receiving intelligence reports that multiple infiltration attempts have been made by terrorists to launch a Pulwama-like attack. J&K has been in turmoil, especially after the state government issued a security advisory to tourists and Amarnath Yatra pilgrims to "leave Kashmir" immediately in view of terror threats, triggering panic among people.
In the security advisory, issued on Friday, the administration asked tourists and Amarnath Yatra pilgrims to "curtail their stay" and "immediately leave" the state, advising them to "return as soon as possible". According to the locals, it was an unprecedented move as such an advisory was not issued even during the 1990s, at the height of militancy in Kashmir.
Intelligence sources said that there have been multiple attempts by terrorists to cross the Line of Control and infiltrate into the Indian territory between July 29-31. The Indian Army also said five personnel of Pakistan's Border Action Team (BAT) were killed when they were trying to infiltrate into India and launch an attack on an army post in the Keran sector.
Over the last week, the Center deployed over 35,000 paramilitary troops in J&K to strengthen counter-insurgency operations and law and order duties. However, the deployment triggered rumors and fear in the Kashmir Valley that the Center might abolish Article 35A, which grants exclusive rights to locals in government jobs and land. But, Governor Satya Pal Malik said there's no plan to scrap Article 35A.
