PM directs Home Secretary to visit Kashmir

New Delhi, July 7 (ANI): The Prime Minister, Dr Manmohan Singh, on Wednesday directed Union Home Secretary G K Pillai to visit Srinagar to assess the current situation in the Kashmir Valley following a Cabinet Committee on Security meeting today.

The meeting was called to decide on the mandate for the army, which has been deployed in the Valley to assist the state administration in maintaining law and order as all major towns of the Kashmir Valley continue to remain under curfew.

The meeting reportedly also looked into the logistic deployment of the Army in Kashmir. inance Minister Pranab Mukherjee, Defence Minister A K Anthony, Home Minister P. Chidambaram, Army chief General VK Singh and chiefs of the Intelligence Bureau and Research and Analysis Wing attended the meeting.

Meanwhile, Minister of State for Defence M M Pallam Raju today said the Army would remain on the streets in Srinagar assisting the state administration in maintaining law and order till it was necessary.

Pallam Raju said it became necessary for the Army to stage a flag march in Srinagar at the request of the Jammu and Kashmir Government in view of the ground situation.

The army was deployed in Srinagar on Tuesday night following violent protests, which left three persons dead and over 70 injured.

Army columns were deployed across the city, following widespread violence in the Batmaloo and Maisuma localities.

The decision to deploy the Army was taken after Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah made a formal request to the Central Government for its help in enforcing curfew and maintaining law and order in Srinagar.

The situation in the valley has been tense over the past few weeks due to repeated clashes between protestors and security forces. (ANI)