Chidambaram in Kashmir Valley; to review security, meet people

SRINAGAR - Union Home Minister P. Chidambaram Sunday arrived in the north Kashmir town of Baramulla where he is to hold a public meeting and review the latest security situation in the violence-hit Kashmir Valley that has seen around 110 deaths, mostly in firing by security forces on street protesters, in the last over four months.

On the second day of his Jammu and Kashmir trip, Chidambaram flew to Baramulla from Kargil town. On Saturday he visited Ladakh where he reviewed the progress of rehabilitation work in the aftermath of the August cloudburst tragedy in which over 200 people were killed.

In Baramulla, the home minister will address a high level meeting of police, paramilitary and officials of the three north Kashmir districts of Baramulla, Bandipora and Kupwara. He is likely to interact with the public at an official guest house in Baramulla town that also saw the worst violence in the four months of unrest.

Thirty-nine people were killed in Baramulla district.

Chidambaram would later fly to Srinagar to attend a meeting of the top security grid — the unified command headquarters — to review the security situation in the state.

“The home minister will hold a meeting with Chief Minister Omar Abdullah. The government is likely to announce release of some stone pelters arrested during the last over four months of unrest,” an official said.

The home minister’s visit comes days after three Kashmir interlocutors concluded their first visit to the state to meet a wide spectrum of people to find a peace formula.

This would be the home minister’s second visit to Kashmir in the past three months. As part of an All Party Delegation he along with some parliamentarians had visited the valley in August.

Chidambaram will fly to winter capital Jammu later in the day to conclude his visit to the state.

Authorities have thrown a tight security ring in and around Baramulla and Srinagar in view of the minister’s visit.