Pallam Raju feels all-party delegation's visit to J-K will help restore peace

New Delhi, Sep 21 (ANI): Minister of State for Defence M M Pallam Raju on Tuesday said that the all-party delegation's visit to Jammu and Kashmir will help restore peace in the Valley.

Talking to reporters on the sidelines of a CII event here, Raju said: "I am sure the outcome of the all party delegation's visit to Kashmir will be fruitful and peace will return to the Valley."

Ruling out any dilution or revocation of the Armed Forces Special Powers Act (AFSPA) from the state, Raju said: " The Indian Army is not responsible for the current turmoil in the Kashmir Valley.

He said AFSPA is a necessary security blanket, which the army needs to fight terrorism

On cross border infiltration, Raju said: "Infiltration attempts across the border is an ongoing challenge, which the Indian Army is dealing with very effectively.

"We have taken suitable measures and precautions to ensure that infiltration is contained," he added.

Led by Union Home Minister P. Chidambaram, the 39 member all-party delegation in the state to assess the ground situation against the backdrop of unabated unrest that has claimed over 100 lives in the last three months. (ANI)