JAMMU: On January 9, Union Home Minister Amit Shah is expected to travel to Jammu to assess the state of security in J&K, paying special attention to Rajouri and Poonch. According to official sources, “The office of Union Home Minister has yet to confirm the schedule of his likely visit, which, in any case, is subject to fair weather conditions.” He will arrive in Jammu immediately after to chair a high-level security review meeting, as per the provisional schedule. If the weather is favourable, he might travel to the border districts of Rajouri and Poonch to obtain a firsthand account of the situation there. Before concluding his visit, he might also have discussions with senior J&K BJP leaders and officer-bearers, according to sources.BJP insiders stated, “There were tidings about his probable visit. But as of right now, nothing can be said for sure because his office has not yet provided a final approval. There is currently no confirmation of any meeting with BJP leaders or office bearers, even if he shows up for a security review. On January 7, however, J P Nadda, the president of the BJP party, will be in the region to discuss LS poll strategy with leaders of the J&K unit.” The Union Home Minister presided over a review meeting on the security status of the Union Territory of Jammu & Kashmir on January 2 in the union capital following a recent terror attack there. Attendees at the meeting included Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha, Chief of Army Staff, Chief Security Advisor Ajit Doval, Union Home Secretary, Chief (IB), Heads of CAPFs, Chief Secretary, and DGP of the UT of Jammu and Kashmir. In order to neutralise the threat of terrorism, Shah had reviewed the security agencies’ area dominance plan for Jammu and Kashmir during the meeting. He gave an order to bolster counterterrorism operations and emphasise the necessity of totally dismantling the terror eco-system while examining the security grid’s operation and Jammu and Kashmir’s overall security situation. Additionally, he gave security agencies advice on how to deploy people in risky areas.
