Government to withdraw security cover, curtail facilities given to Kashmiri separatists?

Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh on Tuesday briefed Prime Minister Narendra Modi on the situation in Kashmir.

File photo

Delhi: Centre may curtail facilities like foreign trips, security and medical treatment, among other things, for separatists in Kashmir, as per a media reports.

Reports quoted Union Home Ministry sources as saying that government may harden its stance against militants and is planning to deal firmly with those who are fomenting trouble.

900 policemen are said to have been deployed in the security of the separatists.

Moreover, they also get funds in the form of pension, travel allowance and so on and the Centre and the Jammu and Kashmir governments jointly bear the expenditure.

The central government is also likely to order 'scrutinising' bank accounts of such leaders and expedite completion of pending investigations in cases against them.

"Steps may be taken to scale down their foreign visits and facilities like medical treatment as well," sources said, as per IANS.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi is said to have given his nod to the proposal to act tough with the separatist leaders.

Sources, however, said the government may take a final call on initiating tough stance against separatists only after the meeting of the all-party delegation likely to be held here on Wednesday to discuss their findings during the two-day visit.

Meanwhile, Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh on Tuesday briefed PM Modi on the situation in Kashmir after returning from his two-day visit to J&K.

The all-party delegation had reached J&K on Sunday, nearly two months after a bloody unrest erupted in the aftermath of the July 8 killing of Hizbul Mujahideen 'commander' Burhan Wani.

The HM, in an hour-long meeting, apprised PM Modi about the ground situation of the state assessed by the all-party delegation which visited Srinagar and Jammu on September 4 and 5.

"Briefed the Prime Minister on all-party delegation's visit to J&K and also apprised him of the situation in the state," Singh said in a tweet after the meeting at the Prime Minster's residence.

Briefed the Prime Minister on All Party Delegation's visit to J&K and also apprised him of the situation in the state.

— Rajnath Singh (@rajnathsingh) September 6, 2016

While the PM returned to the capital last night after his visit to Vietnam and China, the HM too had come back from Jammu and Kashmir last evening.

Sources said the members of the all-party delegation are likely to meet here tomorrow to discuss their findings during their visit and chalk out future plans for Jammu and Kashmir, as per PTI.

The all-party delegation seeking to end the turbulence in Kashmir concluded its visit yesterday with no breakthrough.

Unhappy at the stubborn refusal of Hurriyat leaders to meet some MPs who had literally knocked at their doors in Srinagar, the HM had said that their conduct was against "democracy, humanity or even 'kashmiriyat' (Kashmiri ethos)".

At hardline Hurriyat leader Syed Ali Shah Geelani's residence, the gate was not even opened for the MPs while people shouted slogans outside.

We all want the situation to improve in Jammu and Kashmir. I am confident that the situation will improve in coming days.

— Rajnath Singh (@rajnathsingh) September 5, 2016

Video link of my interaction with the media in Srinagar today. https://t.co/Zf9j0mObrq

— Rajnath Singh (@rajnathsingh) September 5, 2016

At least 76 persons have been killed and over 12,000 injured in the turmoil in J&K.

(With Agency inputs)