The ruling BJP’s national general secretary Ram Madhav on Sunday arrived here on a day-long trip to hold a brief discussion with Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti. Madhav flew in from Jammu where he interacted with party leaders from BJP and RSS besides some Government functionaries.
Sources said the Madhav spoke to the Chief Minister at her official residence over the functioning of the Coalition Government as the Gover-
nment offices have been closed in Jammu and would be re-opened in summer capital Srinagar on May 8. Madhav’s meeting comes a day after BJP president Amit Shah maintained a tough line on engagement with separatists in Kashmir, which was reported to be a snub to Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) that has off late began reiterating its demand to begin dialogue process with the dissent forces in Kashmir in order to tide over the situation.
Massive public protests have erupted in Kashmir during the past two months especially on April 9 when by-poll was held for Srinagar Parliamentary Constituency. Eight anti-poll protesters were killed on the day that recorded the lowest ever poll percentage for the Constituency.
The protests took a new turn when students hit the streets to resent a crackdown on a degree college in south Kashmir’s Pulwama town on April 15. Two weeks after the incidents, the student protests are not dissipating even as the authorities selectively closed down educational institutions in several areas.
Madhav arrived in Srinagar when a separatist sponsored shutdown was being observed against the killing of an elderly civilian in north Kashmir’s Kupwara belt last week.
The shutdown evoked mixed response.
Madhav has been the troubleshooter in Kashmir since he inked Agenda of Alliance, a roadmap for the PDP-BJP colaition-with former Chief Minister Mufti Muhammad Sayeed in March 2015. He was instrumental in roping in Mehbooba Mufti in 2016 to initiate the second innings of the coalition after senior Mufti's demise.