Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah today met Congress President Sonia Gandhi in New Delhi, their first meeting after the recent unrest in the Kashmir Valley, and is understood to have discussed the prevailing situation in the state.
Omar refused to answer questions of waiting reporters after the meeting. Congress has backed Jammu and Kashmir Government's handling of the situation in the Valley.
Omar Abdullah also called on the Prime Minister and the Home Minister P Chidambaram and discussed steps to contain violence in the valley.
AICC general secretary in-charge for Jammu and Kashmir Prithviraj Chavan had said recently that the Congress fully backs Omar Abdullah government in its efforts to bring normalcy there.
Chavan, who is also Minister of State in the PMO, had said that the state government will get all required support in its initiatives. Kashmir Valley has witnessed protests since June 11 when a teenaged boy died allegedly in teargas shelling by police in downtown Srinagar.
Jammu and Kashmir Government is contemplating to put in place a more concrete mechanism to check inflow of foreign funds to protestors in the state, Omar Abdullah said as he met Home Minister P Chidambaram in New Delhi. "Yes, money is coming through various channels in the state. We are going to put in place some more concrete steps to stop the flow of funds," Omar told reporters.
The chief minister said he had a detailed discussion with the Home Minister about the prevailing situation in the state and the steps being taken to improve it.
"I have discussed with the Home Minister how to give better equipment to paramilitary forces and J and K Police so that they can control the crowd in better ways so that no incident takes place and no one dies," he said.
Kashmir Valley has witnessed protests since June 11 when a teenaged boy died allegedly in teargas shelling by police in downtown Srinagar. Asked about the opposition's allegation that he was losing control over the government, Omar said, "There was no point talking about such things now since we had given opposition a chance to express their views at the all-party meeting which they boycotted".
"I have not lost control over the government. Had I lost control over, the situation would have been worst. It is true that due to certain incidents in the valley, the situation was tense but gradually it is improving. It is obvious that the opposition wants that I should lose control so that they can take advantage of it," he said.
Asked about the deployment of the Army, he said the Army was deployed after the state government and various agencies assessed the situation and the report given to them. "The state government and various agencies assessed the situation and on the basis of that, a decision is taken on Tuesday last," he said. PTI
