“Besides the top BJP ministers the National Security Advisor, Ajit Doval, and Army Chief Bipin Rawat were also present in the meeting chaired by the Prime Minister,” sources added.
The Prime Minister Narendra Modi is understood to have expressed concern over the deteriorating situation in Kashmir and passed directions to defuse the crisis in Kashmir, sources told Kashmir Post.
They said the Home Minister Rajnath Singh, Finance and Defence Minister, Arun Jaitley, External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj, Information and Broadcasting Minister Venkaiah Naidu, Union Transport Minister Nitin Gadkari and Minister of State in the Prime Minister’s Office Jitendra Singh on Wednesday met Prime Minister Narendra Modi in New Delhi and discussed the turbulent situation in Kashmir.
“Besides the top BJP ministers the National Security Advisor, Ajit Doval, and Army Chief Bipin Rawat were also present in the meeting chaired by the Prime Minister,” sources added.
They said, “Besides discussing the way forward the Prime Minister Narendra Modi issued the directions to bring the situation in Kashmir under control. Army Chief Bipin Rawat also made a presentation during the meeting.”
Sources said that it was closed-door meeting and no official communiqué was issued. “It seems that New Delhi wants to keep its future strategy over Kashmir a closely-guarded secret till the crisis is defused in the Valley,” they added.
“Government of India (GOI) besides being worried about the ground situation in Kashmir is also concerned about the growing differences between the PDP and BJP two coalition partners in the state,” sources said.
They said, “Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti has already conveyed her displeasure to the BJP top brass over the party state unit betraying the PDP in the recently held Legislative Council elections. The relations between the two coalition allies in JK are at their lowest ebb and it’s not a good sign.”
It’s in place to mention here that fresh protests and clashes erupted across Kashmir on Monday as college students clashed with security forces over thrashing of Pulwama Degree College students in south Kashmir last week. After the day-long clashes in which over 70 students were injured, the administration ordered closure of universities, colleges and Higher Secondary schools across Kashmir.
Kashmir has been tense since April 9, when by-polls were held for Srinagar parliamentary constituency. On the polling day, eight youth were shot dead by the government forces in central Kashmir’s Budgam and Ganderbal districts. Following these eight killings yet another youth was killed by the paramilitary BSF men at Batmaloo in uptown here last Saturday. The incident evoked widespread protests across Kashmir.
The videos about Army tying a youth in front of their jeep and using him as human shield, young protester being shot dead from the point-blank range and youth being tortured by the men in uniform going viral across Kashmir triggered outrage and added to the tension.
