Security forces in the Kashmir Valley are on high alert ahead of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s multi-party meeting with Jammu and Kashmir’s political leaders on June 24.
This will be Prime Minister Modi‘s first interaction with all traditional political parties in Jammu and Kashmir since August 5, 2019, when the Center abrogated the state’s special status and divided it into two territories of the Union: J&K and Ladakh.
The security grid in the valley was reviewed at a small group meeting co-chaired by the J&K Police Director General, the Lieutenant General and the General Officer in command of the XV Corps, and some gaps were addressed, a NDTV reported.
In addition, a 48-hour alert was issued in UT and along the line of control, a senior official told NDTV. Although there is a ceasefire at the LoC, the security forces “don’t want to take any risks.”
The meeting is taking place at the highest level and the security forces do not want anyone to derail them, the news channel said citing a senior official.
Union Interior Minister Amit Shah had reviewed the security situation in J&K.
The People’s Alliance for the Gupkar Declaration (PAGD), an amalgam of five regional political parties, will participate in the multi-party meeting called by the Prime Minister. The PAGD, or ‘Gupkar Alliance’, comprises the National Conference (NC), the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), the Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M), the People’s Movement of Jammu and Kashmir (JKPM ) and Jammu and the Kashmir Awami National Conference (JKANC).
No less than 14 J&K executives, including four former chief ministers of the former state – Farooq Abdullah, his son Omar Abdullah, top Congress leader Ghulam Nabi Azad and Mehbooba Mufti – were invited.
The chairman of the J&K unit of the Bharatiya Janata Party, Ravinder Raina, two senior party leaders – former deputy chief ministers Nirmal Singh and Kavinder Gupta – will also attend the scheduled meeting.
The meeting is seen as the first crucial step by the Center to resume the political process at J&K and hold assembly elections. J&K has been under central power since June 2018, when the BJP-PDP coalition government collapsed.
The prime minister is expected to urge leaders present at the meeting to cooperate with the Boundaries Commission and move the electoral process forward.
Farooq Abdullah told reporters on June 22 that opposition leaders will present their demands for the restoration of the special status and statehood of J&K at the meeting.
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