New Delhi, Jun 05: BJP’s Jammu and Kashmir in-charge Ram Madhav on Tuesday said that the Centre’s decision to invoke a temporary ceasefire in the Valley during Ramadan was a goodwill gesture but warned that if militancy persists, security forces will have to respond appropriately.
Speaking to CNN-News18, Madhav said that the government has made arrangements to hold a dialogue with all the parties concerned in the Kashmir Valley, including the Hurriyat. He also reiterated that the ceasefire would continue only if the terrorist ceases.
He said that in the last two to two-and-a-half years, government forces had managed to “neutralise more than 600 militants”.
“Earlier, the forces were pursuing a hard-line agenda in the Valley to neutralise militants vigorously. But, keeping the sacredness of Ramadan in mind, as a gesture of goodwill, the government had asked forces to suspend operations,” Madhav told CNN-News18.
“But, if unrest continues then the situation before Ramadan will be restored,” he warned.
Meanwhile, Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh is set to begin his two-day visit to Jammu and Kashmir on 7 June, during which he will review the suspension of operations in Ramadan and also meet those affected by cross-border shelling, officials told PTI.
This is the second high-level visit to the state after the announcement of unilateral ceasefire by the Centre from 16 May. Earlier, Prime Minister Narendra Modi had visited all the three regions of the state – Ladakh, Srinagar and Jammu.
During his stay in Kashmir, the home minister will travel to the frontier district of Kupwara where he will review some projects being undertaken as part of the Border Area Development Programme, officials said.
Later, he will review the suspension of anti-militancy operations during the holy month of Ramadan with top police, paramilitary and central security agency officials, they said.
The need for such an exercise was to understand the impact of the suspension of operations on the life of citizens, the officials said.
