Rajnath Singh to embark two day J&K visit today
Ahead of the 43 days Shri Amarnath Yatra starting from June 30, Union Defence Minister Rajnath Singh will kick-start his two day visit to the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir from Thursday to take stock of yatra preparations and arrangements in place.
Singh however, will also attend 200th anniversary of Maharaja Gulab Singh on June 17.
“Tomorrow, 16th June, I would be in Jammu & Kashmir for a two-day visit. I shall be visiting forward areas and interacting with troops during my visit,” the defence minister said in a tweet.
“Also, I shall attend the 200th anniversary of Maharaja Gulab Singh Ji’s ‘Rajyabhishek Ceremony’ in Jammu on 17th June, Friday,” he said.
“Defence Minister is arriving at Kashmir in the first leg of his two-day visit,” official sources said.
They said that Singh will take stock of the security situation in view of the preparations for Shri Amarnath Yatra starting from June 30.
“Tight security arrangements are in place for the two-day visit of the Union Minister,” they said, adding that Singh will hold a meeting on the security scenario in Jammu and Kashmir at the Election Corps Headquarters at Badami Bagh in Srinagar, besides visiting Baramulla and Pahalgam.
Chief of Army Staff Manoj Pandey will also be accompanying Singh.
Amidst preparations for the defence Minister’s Kashmir visit, the General Officer Commanding-in-Chief of the Northern Command, Lieutenant General Upendra Dwivedi has already landed in the Valley to take stock of the situation.
Sources further said that after the Kashmir visit, Rajnath Singh will attend a private program to be organized on the occasion of 200 years of coronation of Maharaja Gulab Singh, the first Dogra ruler of Jammu and Kashmir on Friday evening at Jammu.
Singh, as per sources is also expected to meet with some organizations in Baramulla and later will discuss ongoing work in the direction of making the Yatra a success by putting strong pressure on the terrorists in Jammu and Kashmir.
“The Defence Minister will also visit Pahalgam, the base camp of Shri Baba Amarnath Yatra on Friday morning besides the Jawahar Mountaineering Institute,” they said.
Notably, so far this year, more than 100 terrorists have been killed in Jammu and Kashmir.
“Singh will also visit various forward areas and review the preparedness of armed forces,” they said, adding that Army commanders are scheduled to brief him about the overall security situation in the hinterland as well as along the Line of Control.
In a significant move aimed at reducing tensions, the Indian and Pakistani armies on February 25 last year announced that they would cease firing across the LoC while recommitting themselves to a 2003 ceasefire agreement.
