Would have kept Hizbul commander Burhan Wani alive for talks: Congress` Saifuddin Soz

Jammu: As tension prevails in the Kashmir Valley in the view of the death anniversary of Hizbul Mujahideen commander Burhan Wani, Saifuddin Soz - a top Congress leader - has made a controversial remark on the slain terrorist.

'If it were in my control, I would have kep Burhan Wani alive for a dialogue,' Soz told ANI.  

The remarks from Congress leader comes at a time when the security forces are keeping a close watch on the most sensitive areas of the state to prevent any violence as Wani's supporters mourn his killing by the security forces in an encounter in Anantnag on July 8, 2016.

The Jammu and Kashmir police has blocked all social media websites on lease line in the Valley and the authorities have shut down internet services.

Ever since the Hizbul militant was eliminated, the Valley has witnessed summer of discontent and months of violence that left nearly a hundred people dead.

In an alarming situation for the security forces, many posters reading messages 'Go India Go Back' and 'We want freedom' have been put across the Valley.

Centre is keeping a close eye on the Kashmir situation and has rushed 21,000 more troops to the Valley to contain the situation.

The J&K Police is taking all preventive measures for maintaining law and order across the Valley as it gears up for the first death anniversary of slain Hizbul Mujahideen militant this weekend, a senior official said.

"Keeping in view the call of separatists and UJC (United Jehad Council), all the preventive measures that are to be taken in all districts have started in terms of the preventive arrests of the miscreants or to ensure that no unlawful assembly takes place," Inspector General of Police (IGP), Kashmir, Munir Ahmad Khan told reporters here.