Rajnath reviews Kashmir situation

New Delhi, Aug 22: As unrest in Kashmir Valley continues, Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh today reviewed the security situation in Jammu and Kashmir and discussed the way forward to bring peace there.

During the hour-long meeting, senior security officials briefed the Home Minister on the prevailing situation in the Kashmir Valley and steps taken to restore peace, sources said.

Singh also discussed how to bring back normalcy in the border state as early as possible, sources said.

Kashmir Valley has been witnessing unrest after the killing of Hizbul Mujahideen terrorist Burhan Wani for the last 45 days.

As many as 65 people including two police personnel have been killed and several thousand injured in clashes that began on July 9.

The Home Minister on Saturday had said that peace and normalcy should be restored in Kashmir by holding talks with "our own people".

"Some people in order to serve their selfish motives are forcing the innocent children and youths of Kashmir to pick up stones... Is this not playing with their future? I want to tell those having such nefarious intentions not to encourage the innocents to pick up stones.

"Which father will ask his children or youths to give up studies and pick up stones?" Singh asked, adding the youths of Kashmir should instead be having pens, books and computers in their hands.

At a function to unveil a statue of Chhatrapati Shivaji at Lucknow University, he said that the solution to all the problems of Kashmir and its people can be found only through mutual dialogue.

"These children are innocent and citizens of India...If there is a problem or difficulty, it cannot be solved through demonstrations, it can be resolved only through mutual dialogue," he said.

PTI