Srinagar: Union Home Minister Amit Shah reached Srinagar on Monday evening, commencing the Kashmir leg of his three-day tour of Jammu and Kashmir.
Shah’s flight touched down at Srinagar Airport at approximately 6:35 pm.
He was accompanied by Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha, BJP J&K president Sat Sharma, and Leader of Opposition in the J&K Legislative Assembly, Sunil Sharma.
The Home Minister was received at the airport by Chief Minister Omar Abdullah, Advisor to the CM Nasir Aslam Wani, Commissioner Secretary Shantmanu, IGP Kashmir Vidhi Kumar Birdi, Divisional Commissioner Kashmir Vijay Kumar Bidhuri, and senior BJP leaders from the region.
In Jammu, HM chaired an important strategy meeting with BJP leaders at the party’s Jammu headquarters.
He also visited the International Border in the Hiranagar sector of Kathua district, where he addressed Border Security Force (BSF) personnel and acknowledged their vital role in securing the nation’s frontiers.
Soon after arriving in Srinagar, the Home Minister visited the family of Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) Humayun Bhat. Humayun, 32, was one of four officers killed during an encounter with terrorists in south Kashmir’s Kokernag area on September 13, 2023.
He was honoured with the Kirti Chakra on Independence Day 2024 for extraordinary bravery.
During his stay in the Valley, Shah is scheduled to conduct a high-level security review with senior officials from various security agencies. He will also hold consultations with both the Lieutenant Governor-led administration and the elected government led by Omar Abdullah to assess the progress of ongoing development projects.
Earlier, Union Home Minister met with the families of ‘martyred’ Jammu and Kashmir police personnel in Jammu today.
During the solemn ceremony, he handed over appointment letters on compassionate grounds to nine nominees, honouring the supreme sacrifices made by their loved ones in the line of duty.
Shah expressed deep gratitude to their families and lauded the courage of the bravehearts who laid down their lives to safeguard the nation. “For over three and a half decades, Jammu and Kashmir has endured the scourge of terrorism. We are immensely proud of the police personnel who sacrificed everything to protect our country, our homes, and our future,” he said.
Underlining the strides made under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the Home Minister stated that terrorism has been significantly curbed and separatist sentiments diminished. “While we have made substantial progress, our mission is not yet complete. The fight against terrorism continues,” he asserted.
During the event, Shah made a compassionate appeal to the Jammu and Kashmir administration to ensure the future welfare of 12-year-old Yuvraj Singh, son of martyr SGCT Jaswant Singh, recommending his appointment be considered when he attains adulthood.
He also paid tribute to the late Shashi Bhushan Abrol, Deputy Manager/Designer at APCO Construction Company, who lost his life during a terrorist attack on the Sonamarg Tunnel project on October 20, 2024. Shah acknowledged his sacrifice in the service of critical infrastructure development, highlighting the government’s enduring commitment to support the families of all martyrs, both civilian and uniformed.
“No words can ever truly console the bereaved, but our actions reflect the nation’s gratitude. The government will always stand with the families of our martyrs, just as they stood by the nation,” Shah said.
The Home Minister called upon citizens to draw inspiration from the martyrs’ ideals of duty, honour, and love for Maa Bharti, emphasizing that their courage and commitment will remain forever etched in the nation’s memory.
