Rajnath Singh begins two-day visit to Srinagar from Wednesday

Home Minister Rajnath Singh is scheduled to review the security in the Kashmir valley after 46 days of curfew and hold talks with politicians and civil society for finding a lasting solution to the unrest there during his two-day visit to Srinagar from Wednesday.

Rajnath Singh's visit, his second to Jammu and Kashmir capital in a month, follows a series of meetings the opposition leaders of the state held in New Delhi last week, including ones with President Pranab Mukherjee, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Congress Vice President Rahul Gandhi.

The opposition leaders warned the leadership here that a continuing unrest in the state will further alienate the people of Kashmir.

The government is keen to end the cycle of violent protests and counter-offensives that has left at least 68 people dead in over five weeks of unrest. Thousands of civilians and security personnel have been injured.

Home Ministry officials declined to divulge Rajnath Singh's schedule of events, but said he will be accompanied by some senior officials, including Home Secretary Rajiv Mehrishi. "He will meet the people in Srinagar, political leadership included," a government source told IANS.

The visit comes amid relative calm in parts of Srinagar for the fist time in 46 days on Tuesday, prompting the government to lift the curfew in some areas from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. The unrest started after the killing of Hizbul Mujahideen militant Burhan Wani on July 8.

--IANS

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