A day after the Parliament gave its nod for revoking the special status to Jammu & Kashmir under Article 370 and bifurcation of the State into two Union Territories, National Security Advisor (NSA) Ajit Doval on Wednesday was spotted chatting around and having lunch with the local residents of Shopian, a hotbed of terrorism and agitation hub post-Burhan Wani's killing.
Doval also met Jammu & Kashmir police officials and security personnel in the presence of Director General of Police (DGP) Dilbag Singh in Shopian. Union Home Minister Amit Shah and BJP national president JP Nadda are likely to visit Jammu & Kashmir shortly.
In the viral video on social media, the NSA was spotted interacting with a handful of local people outside shuttered shops in an empty market place in Shopian.
Doval was seen eating food on a footpath outside closed shops and talking to locals this afternoon. "How is everything? What do you people think?" Doval asks the group to which one of the local replied, "Everything is good. It is a big day."
Doval arrived in Kashmir on Tuesday. He is reaching out to the local population in the Valley as a confidence building measure (CMB).
"Everything will be alright. Everyone should live peacefully. Whatever the almighty does is good. Your safety and security is our responsibility. We are thinking about the growth and welfare of your generations ," Doval told the Shopian loals.
In the video,Doval was seen explaining to the people how the new set-up would ease people's lives by improving health facilities and education. "The Government will make every effort to better the education of the children in the valley. It might not be as good as the private institutes, but you'll definitely see an improvement," he told the people
Earlier, the NSA met Governor Satya Pal Malik at the Raj Bhavan in Srinagar. He also addressed groups of Jammu & Kashmir Police, Central Reserve Police Force and the Indian Army personnel to boost their morale in the state's altered scenario. He said he was aware of the danger the security forces in the state worked under as he himself had been a part of the security set-up for the past 52 years. "Jammu & Kashmir Police is one of the best police forces. It has a special place for us," Doval told the policemen.
Doval is learnt to have given directions that the common people of Jammu & Kashmir should not face any hardship and that essential supplies be provided on a priority basis. This includes food as well as providing emergency services.
The decision to revoke Article 370 and the proposal to bifurcate Jammu & Kashmir into two separate Union Territories have been opposed by several politicians in the Valley. PDP's Mehbooba Mufti and National Conference's Omar Abdullah were taken into preventive detention on Monday night. All communication, including the internet and telephone (both mobile and landline), were also snapped. All schools and colleges to remain closed on Thursday whereas all Government offices and banks to resume services from Thursday.