NPP pins hopes on Rajnath's Kashmir Valley visit

Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh will be visiting the Kashmir Valley on Wednesday, and the National Panthers Party (NPP) said it is hopeful about the emergence of a meaningful and positive outcome.

NPP leader Harshdev Singh told ANI that it is good that the Union Government has realised the gravity of the situation.

"We had been waiting for quite some time now. The curfew has been continuing for the last 47 days. We believe that the Centre has failed to show the kind of sincerity that ought to have been shown in the present circumstances. Now that Rajnath Singh is visiting Kashmir, we expect that a meaningful dialogue takes place and different sections of society are called for the meeting and something positive emerges out of his visit," he added.

Resonating similar sentiments, party leader Bhim Singh called for the imposition of governor's rule in the Kashmir Valley.

"If the Home Minister is visiting Kashmir, then he should announce imposition of governor's rule over there. By combining Section 370 and Section 92 of the Indian Constitution, governor's rule has to be imposed. This is the only way to bring peace and prosperity in Jammu and Kashmir. After two or three months, they should call all parties and openly discuss the issue of Jammu and Kashmir. A solution must be found to our problem which is there since 1947. But today, the only solution is governor's rule," Singh told ANI.

With pressure mounting on the Centre to send an all-party delegation to Kashmir in an effort to end the present crisis, Singh will be visiting the restive valley today.

Union Home Secretary Rajiv Mehrishi and other senior officials will also accompany the Minister.

As many as 65 people have been killed and thousands, including security forces, left injured in protest-related violence triggered by the killing of Hizbul Mujahideen militant Burhan Wani by security forces on July 8.

A delegation of Jammu and Kashmir opposition parties also met President Pranab Mukherjee, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Congress vice president Rahul Gandhi to apprise them of the ground situation in the valley, while urging them to take measures to mitigate the ongoing crisis.