Union home minister Amit Shah to visit J&K next week, says BJP leader

During his two-day visit to J&K, Union home minister Shah will attend a mega rally planned in north Kashmir’s Baramulla town, the BJP said

SRINAGAR: Union home minister Amit Shah will travel to Jammu and Kashmir next week, his second visit after the government revoked its special status union, state Bharatiya Janata Party leaders said. Shah visited Pulwama and Srinagar last year.

A man rows a boat in the interiors of Dal Lake in Srinagar in Jammu and Kashmir. (HT FIle Photo/Waseem Andrabi)

During his two-day visit to J&K, Shah will attend a mega rally planned in north Kashmir’s Baramulla town.

J&K BJP spokesperson Altaf Thakur said the home minister will make “an important announcement about Paharis and OBCs at his rally. It is going to be a big gathering. He will arrive in Srinagar on October 1”.

Like Gujjars, the union territory’s Pahari community has been demanding quota benefits, a demand that has been opposed by the union territory’s Gujjar community

A group of Pahari community leaders met Shah in Delhi last month to seek scheduled tribe status and were assured by the home minister that the government do them justice.

Shah will also meet members of the business community, political leaders of different parties and panchayat representatives.

Shah’s J&K visit comes against the backdrop of the union territory and election officials preparing the groundwork to hold assembly elections, the first after the abrogation of Article 370.