Srinagar (Jammu and Kashmir): Home Minister Amit Shah on Thursday reached Srinagar city in Jammu and Kashmir for a two-day visit, amid a packed schedule of election rallies he has been attending in multiple poll-bound states across the country.
Speaking about the development, Senior BJP leader and Kashmir in-charge Sunil Sharma asserted that Shah’s visit to Srinagar is apolitical, as he will chair a meeting to review the arrangements for the Amarnath Yatra.
"People from different communities, like Gujjars, Bakerwals, Dal dwellers, and others, can meet him as there will be no restrictions for anyone," he added. According to officials, Shah will depart for New Delhi on Friday evening.
Asked if Jamaat-e-Islami (JeI) leaders would meet Amit Shah, since one of their panel members Wednesday sought revocation of the ban on the organisation and expressed desire to contest Assembly polls, the officials said, "There is no restriction on meeting the Home Minister in Srinagar. Anyone can meet him...if JeI leaders want to meet him, they can too. All meetings are scheduled for tomorrow; today will be a general security review meet."
Security measures have been significantly intensified in the valley in wake of the Home Minister's visit. Additional security forces have been deployed, with security personnel closely monitoring potential routes that the Home Minister may use. Shah's visit to Srinagar coincides with the ongoing Lok Sabha elections nationwide. Notably, the BJP did not nominate candidates for three seats in the Kashmir Valley.
The polls for the Srinagar Lok Sabha constituency were conducted on May 13, recording a voter turnout of 38.49 percent, the second-highest since 1989 in Lok Sabha elections. The voting for the Baramulla and Anantnag-Rajouri constituencies is scheduled for May 20 (Phase 5) and May 25 (Phase 6), respectively, in the seven-phase Lok Sabha elections. Simultaneously, polling for the Ladakh Lok Sabha Seat is also slated for May 20. The declaration of Lok Sabha election results is expected on June 4.
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