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Kashmir remains tense; PM holds security meeting

07 July 2010 19:36 (UTC +04:00)

Baku â€“ APA. The Cabinet Committee on Security met on Wednesday and is understood to have discussed the situation in Kashmir where army has been deployed to assist the civil authorities in restoring normalcy following violence, APA reports quoting â€œThe Times of Indiaâ€.

The meeting, chaired by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, reviewed the situation in the wake of the spiralling protests in Srinagar following the killing of three persons yesterday.

â€œUnion home secretary G K Pillai is visiting Srinagar. He will take stake of the situation there," an official said.

Army staged a flag march in some areas of curfew-bound Srinagar this morning.

Home minister P Chidambaram, defence minister A K Antony, cabinet secretary K M Chandrashekar, NSA Shiv Shankar Menon, home secretary G K Pillai, and defence secretary Pradeep Kumar attended the meeting.

There was no official word on any decision taken at the hour-long meeting.

The state government had yesterday sought the help of the army after curfew was imposed in the city.

Earlier, minister of state for defence M M Pallam Raju had said that Army would remain on the streets in Srinagar till it was necessary, but the government would like it to be short.

"Army steps in only when things go out of control ..... It is not a situation the Army would like to be in. But whenever it is necessary and in the interest of the nation, we step in," minister of state for defence M M Pallam Raju told reporters.

"(Army will stay) as long as it is necessary. But we would like to make it as short as possible," Raju said, when asked about the presence of the army in Srinagar.

Curfew was also in force in Anantnag, Pampore, Pulwama and Kulgam in south Kashmir and Kupwara and Bandipore in north Kashmir. Restrictions were in force at Sopore and Baramulla where Army also staged a flag march.

Protesters had on Tuesday clashed with security forces in various places including Khanyar, Nowhatta, Rajouri Kadal, Barzulla, Fateh Kadal, Braripora, Tatoo Ground, Hyderpora, Baghat, Rambagh, Jehangir Chowk, Maisuma, and Habbakadal, leaving many people injured.