Hope Rajnath will announce CBMs and end use of pellet guns in Kashmir: Congress

As many as 45 persons have been killed and over 3,400 injured in clashes between protesters and security forces since July 9 in the valley

Expressing serious concern over the situation in Kashmir, Congress on Saturday voiced hope that Home Minister Rajnath Singh during his visit to the Valley would announce confidence-building measures and that pellet guns would no longer be used on protesters.

Senior Congress leader Ghulam Nabi Azad also targeted Prime Minister Narendra Modi, alleging that he and his government are not "concerned" about people of Kashmir as he was not present either in Lok Sabha or Rajya Sabha when the issue was discussed.

"Now after 16 days, the Home Minister has gone to Kashmir. I have full faith that he will announce it to people of Kashmir that there will be no more use of pellet guns from now on in Kashmir.

"I also hope that the Home Minister will start taking confidence building measures, so that the people of Kashmir once again show the same faith in the central and state governments," he said.

Azad said the situation in Kashmir, which has been rocked by violence after the killing of Hizbul Mujahideen terrorist Burhan Wani, was a matter of "serious concern".

Training his guns on the Prime Minister, Azad said, "There were discussions on Kashmir issue in Rajya Sabha and Lok Sabha but Prime Minister did not attend any of those which shows how much concerned the government and the PM are about the people of Kashmir."

Curfew was on Saturday lifted from four districts of Kashmir and parts of Srinagar city in view of the improving situation in these areas but remained in force in the rest of the Valley as a precautionary measure.

As many as 45 persons have been killed and over 3,400 injured in clashes between protesters and security forces since July 9.