Modi Govt will script J&K’s peace story: Amit Shah

Jammu, Apr 6: Union Home Minister Amit Shah Sunday reiterated the commitment of the central government led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi to establish ever-lasting peace in J&K.

Reiteration was made in his maiden interaction with the J&K BJP legislators at the party office at Trikuta Nagar, on the very first day of his three-day J&K visit, beginning Sunday evening.

He also exhorted party MLAs and other senior core group leaders, including three Members of Parliament of BJP to go full throttle to bring “stark contrast” to the fore vis-a-vis the performance of Centre bringing peace and growth in J&K during its rule and that of previous regimes led by the National Conference, Congress and others pushing it (J&K) to the “vortex of terrorism and devastation.”

“They ruled (NC, Congress, others) J&K to serve their ends which destroyed J&K, causing its people to suffer. Our objective has always been the people’s interest in alignment with the national interest. I’m here to reiterate that the Modi government is committed to bringing back everlasting peace in J&K and taking it forward to an enviable journey of prosperity and development to be an integral part of “Viksit Bharat’s growth story.” Our mission is clear and no one can stop us from achieving this objective,” was his message to the party leaders with the direction to percolate it down.

“Take this message to the grassroots to bolster the confidence of people in the government led by the Prime Minister,” he asked the party leaders, mainly people’s representatives during the interaction, described by the participants as “an introductory meeting.”

“Union Home Minister’s focus was on the efforts to strengthen organisation while bringing out positives of the central government during the last one decade or so across the country and mainly in J&K, which, he said, topped the priority of BJP as well as the Modi-government. He asked the party leaders particularly the MLAs and MPs to reach out to people with the welfare schemes of the central government which changed the life of the common man for the better,” shared one of the legislators, who preferred anonymity.

“He preferred individual interactions during the meeting which lasted around three hours,” the MLA added.

Did he give cues to draw a strategy to counter the treasury benches in the budget session of the J&K Legislative Assembly, beginning tomorrow after a 12-day long recess?

The response to this question was a bit evasive. “Such clues cannot be given in the open forum. Yes, at the individual level, some of the chosen persons would have got some instructions. I’m not privy to those details,” was the response.

Senior party leaders Tarun Chugh, Ashok Koul, and Sat Sharma also attended the meeting among other core group members.

Earlier, the Union Home Minister Sunday evening reached Jammu on his three-day visit to Jammu and Kashmir – his maiden visit after the National Conference-led alliance came to power in October 2024.

As per his schedule, after his arrival at Jammu Technical Airport, where he was received by Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha, the Union Minister of State in PMO Jitendra Singh and other dignitaries, he straightaway headed to Raj Bhawan.

Chief Secretary Atal Dulloo; Director General of Police Nalin Prabhat; Divisional Commissioner Jammu Ramesh Kumar; Deputy Commissioner Jammu Sachin Kumar Vaishya; Inspector General of Police Jammu Bhim Sen Tuti; SSP Jammu Joginder Singh besides J&K BJP president Sat Sharma; BJP national general secretary and in-charge J&K Tarun Chugh and the Leader of Opposition in J&K Legislative Assembly, Sunil Kumar Sharma too were present at the airport to welcome the Union Home Minister.

A thick security blanket was placed all across Jammu, particularly in and around those places, which formed the venues of the Union Home Minister’s engagements.

From the party office, Shah returned to Raj Bhawan for a night-halt.

Union Home Minister’s visit assumes significance as it is happening amid a string of developments unfolding - both on political as well as security front.

His visit to the party office coincided with the Foundation Day of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and it was also on the eve of the resumption of the budget session of J&K Legislative Assembly after a 12-day long recess period.

The session, resuming on April 7 and lasting till April 9, is all likely to be tumultuous in the wake of recent strain in the relations between Raj Bhawan and the NC-led alliance government over the JKAS officers’ transfer issue.

NC and alliance partners in their recent meeting have already dropped hints to adopt a hard stance over the transfer, dual power structure, statehood and other related prickly issues, eliciting oblique responses from Raj Bhawan as well.

On April 7 morning, the Union Home Minister’s itinerary includes a visit to Border Security Force (BSF) BOP Vinay at 10.30 am in Kathua where he is likely to have a meticulous assessment of operational preparedness along the borders and efficacy of the anti-infiltration grid with the top brass of BSF and other paramilitary forces engaged in anti-terrorist operations.

From there, he will return to Raj Bhawan, Jammu where he is, at 2 pm, scheduled to meet the families of the police personnel recently martyred in the Kathua encounter and distribute the appointment letters to the Next of Kin of the bravehearts on compassionate grounds under SRO 43.

On April 7, his last major engagement in Jammu may be a visit to the residence of the Leader of Opposition Sunil Kumar Sharma in Gandhi Nagar, for likely tete-e-tete on political developments, in the evening near Shiva temple, where he may pay obeisance also, before proceeding to Srinagar for the next leg of his visit.

Following the night halt at Raj Bhawan, Srinagar, his major engagements on April 8 morning will be the review of ongoing development projects in J&K, including the execution of Centrally Sponsored Schemes (CSSs) at 11 am.

This will be followed by a high-level review meeting vis-à-vis J&K security at 1 pm, to be attended by the Union Home Secretary and other senior officers of the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA), the top brass of intelligence agencies and central paramilitary forces.

Security review meetings may be spread in two parts – including Unified Headquarters, focused on synergized anti-terrorist operations ensuring a 360-degree security grid.

Security preparedness related to Amarnath Yatra and the inauguration of “Train to Kashmir” (scheduled for the third week of April by the Prime Minister) may form the agenda of the second meeting.

The venue for all these engagements will be Raj Bhawan.

Notably, as per sources, Director IB Tapan Deka; DG BSF Daljit Singh Choudhary; Special Director IB Mahesh Dixit and top MHA officials reached Jammu ahead of the Home Minister’s arrival.

The Union Home Minister is likely to inaugurate or lay the foundation stone of some specified development projects also virtually from the Raj Bhawan. This engagement may see the presence of Chief Minister Omar Abdullah as well. He (Omar) may also have a one-on-one meeting with Shah as per tweaks made in his tentative itinerary.

Shah will return to the union capital on April 8 afternoon.