JAMMU, May 27: Union Home Minister Amit Shah will undertake two-day visit to the Jammu region, his first post Operation Sindoor, on May 29 and 30 during which he will review security situation and visit the border district of Poonch which was badly hit by Pakistan shelling in civilian areas killing 13 persons and causing huge damage to houses and business establishments.Shah had visited Kashmir in the evening of April 22 soon after terror attack at Baisaran, Pahalgam in which 26 civilians, 25 of them tourists and a local, were killed. Next day, he also visited Baisaran.
However, this will be the Home Minister’s first visit to the UT post Operation Sindoor from May 7-10 during which the Indian Armed Forces destroyed terror infrastructure and military installations deep inside Pakistan and PoJK.
Sources told the Excelsior that Shah will reach here in the evening of May 29 and will review security situation in Jammu and Kashmir especially the Jammu region at a high-level meeting with Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha and senior officers of Army, paramilitary forces, Jammu and Kashmir Police, civil administration and Intelligence agencies.
“Arrangements for annual pilgrimage of Shri Amarnath Ji scheduled to be held from July 3-August 9 will figure prominently as post Pahalgam terror attack, security arrangements for the pilgrims this year will be extraordinary. Further, Pakistan which has been frustrated by miserable defeat at the hands of Indian Armed Forces in Operation Sindoor could try to carry out attack through the terrorists,” the sources said, adding in view of this there will be heightened security for the yatra.Besides yatra, anti-infiltration and anti-terror measures will also figure prominently at the meeting and there will be review of the decisions taken in previous security related meeting held in Srinagar after April 22 attack.
There has been presence of terrorists in upper reaches of Doda, Kishtwar, Kathua, Udhampur, Rajouri and Poonch districts and during past one month, contacts have been established by security forces at various places. An Army soldier was martyred in Kishtwar last week and prior to that, another braveheart attained martyrdom in Dudu Basantgarh in Udhampur district, during gunbattle with terrorists.
On May 30, Shah will visit the border district of Poonch to assess damage caused by Pakistani shelling in civilian areas. He will meet the next of kin of those killed in shelling.Thirteen civilians, four of them children including two siblings, were killed as Pakistan army fired mortar shells in civilian areas. Three religious places were also damaged besides a large number of houses and business establishments.
Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha, during his visit to Poonch last week, had announced one Government job for next of kin of those killed in shelling. He also stated that the Central Government will announce package for the damage caused to houses and business structures.
Meanwhile in Mumbai, Shah said that Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s 11-year reign will be written in golden letters in history.
Speaking at the 150th anniversary of Madhavbagh Laxminarayan temple here, Shah, who spoke in Gujarati, said that those who didn’t know the value of “ek chutki sindoor” were informed about it through ‘Operation Sindoor’.
“Modi has completed 11 years as the Prime Minister. The son of Gujarat is committed to the nation’s development, economic growth and national security. Those who violated the national security have been taught a lesson,” he said.
PM Modi has made people feel proud to be an Indian and enhanced the value of the Indian passport overseas, the Home Minister said.
Shah said it was due to the strong political will that the Ram Mandir in Ayodhya and Kashi Vishwanath corridor were constructed during Modi’s tenure.
