Mehbooba meets Rajnath on violence-hit Wednesday

JAMMU: Hours before Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti was scheduled to meet Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh on her second day in national capital, a school teacher's body was found in an open field with the throat slit in Shopian, accompanied by a note claiming the col-blooded murder was in the revenge of death of three Hizbul terrorists by security forces in native village of slain teacher, last week.
Barely an hour later, the reports came of at-least four persons being injured in clashes with security forces who allegedly opened fired on a mob in Pahalgam area protesting the braid chopping incidents, that are on a rise in valley.
As the meeting started, the chief minister briefed the home minister about the prevailing situation in state, with discussions focused on the spurt in violence in Kashmir valley in recent past.
This spurt has came in the background of attacks on security personnel, killing of a PDP worker and the subsequent attack on his house, all in past two days.
In the 30-minute long meeting, Mehbooba reiterated to Rajnath the steps her government has taken to maintain peace in the state.
Rajnath Singh reportedly assured Mehbooba of all central assistance to her government in maintaining peace in the state, as asserted by a home ministry official said. The other main issue that was discussed in the meeting included the constitution of a study group to examine the problems being faced by the people living near the International Border and the Line of Control in Jammu and Kashmir.
The group was set up by the home ministry recently.
However, barely hours after the meeting concluded, the terrorists shot dead a special police officer (SPO) in Tral area of Pulwama, giving away for the worsening situation in the valley.
The home minister had recently said five to six terrorists are killed by security forces in Jammu and Kashmir everyday.
The chief minister also met Railway Minister Piyush Goyal yesterday.