Srinagar (J&K): Union Home Minister Amit Shah will inaugurate and lay the foundation stone of various development projects in Srinagar on Monday. The Union Minister is at the end of his three-day visit to the union territory, his first since the abrogation of Article 370 in August 2019.
Shah visits Mata Kheer Bhawani temple in Kashmir
Shah paid obeisance at the Mata Kheer Bhawani temple shrine in J&K's Ganderbal district on Monday. Extraordinary security arrangements were made in and around the Mata Kheer Bhawani temple in Tullamulla town.
Heavy deployment of police and paramilitary forces was made in Ganderbal town where the home minister landed in a helicopter and was then driven to the nearly 5-kilometre long distance to the temple shrine accompanied by Lt Governor Manoj Sinha.
Mata Kheer Bhawani temple shrine is the holiest religious place of worship for the Kashmiri Pandit community.
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On Saturday, he met the families of soldiers and civilians killed this month in a spate of terrorist attacks in Jammu and Kashmir.
Stating that Jammu and Kashmir is in the heart of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Sunday said that a new era of development has started in the Union Territory and nobody can stop this development.
"Nobody can stop the era of development that has started in J-K. It is the land of temples, of Mata Vaishno Devi, of Prem Nath Dogra, the land of sacrifices of Syama Prasad Mukherjee. We would not let the people, who are trying to disrupt peace in J-K succeed," Shah said while addressing an event in Jammu.
Kashmiri Pandits delegation meets Shah
A BJP-led delegation of three displaced Kashmiri Pandit organisations met the Union HM on Sunday, demanding that two-bedroom quarters be constructed for the migrant employees from the community recruited under PM's special recruitment programme in the valley, besides security and insurance coverage.
They also sought the formation of an apex committee and a welfare board to address the issues of those displaced. According to officials, a seven-member delegation, led by J&K BJP spokesperson and former MLA GL Raina, met Shah at the Raj Bhawan. Other members in the delegation include former J&K chief secretary and Apni Party leader Vijay Bakaya, Youth All India Kashmiri Samaj (YAIKS) chief RK Bhat, All India Kashmiri Samaj (AIKS) leader AK Raina and Kashmiri Pandit Sabha (KPS) chief KK Khosa.
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Nearly 3,000 Kashmiri Pandit employees recruited under PM's special recruitment package have been appointed in the valley since 2010.
The formation of an advisory council of Kashmiri Pandits to work under the MHA for full restorative justice to the community was also made. The delegation requested Shah to accept the community's demand for a single comprehensive rehabilitation plan, including employment and other rights, as enshrined in the Constitution, as well as restoration and rebuilding of temples, shrines and community assets, including crematoriums.
Shah's visit comes amid several incidents of civilians being killed by the terrorists in the UT which has sparked fear in the valley.
