Jairam’s Sopore visit to assess ground reality

Two months after the hanging of Afzal Guru, the first visit of a central minister in his backyard in Kashmir valley is set to take place on Saturday.

Two months after the hanging of Afzal Guru, the first visit of a central minister in his backyard in Kashmir valley is set to take place on Saturday.


The carefully crafted tour may also provide an opportunity for a first-hand taste of the prevailing ground situation in Sopore — Guru’s home district — after the hanging sparked uproar in several pockets of the valley.

Rural development minister Jairam Ramesh will visit Sopore and Khansahib apart from touring Srinagar during his two-day visit to the valley, starting Friday.

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The minister, however, is set to stick to his pre-determined agenda of visiting a local vocational training centre and interact with the trainees and their family members and refrain from making any direct political moves.

The visit assumes significance as Guru’s family still lives in Sopore and the district, otherwise too, has witnessed youth unrest.