JAMMU: (Federal Home) Minister SB Chavan Wednesday ruled out handing over the troubled Kashmir Valley to the army.

Speaking at a press conference at the airport in this winter capital ‘of the state before flying to New Delhi, he said to situation did not warrant handing over Kashmir to the army as the security forces at present were doing well in dealing with the militancy in the valley.

He said a national policy would ‘be formulated to deal with the ceases of kidnapping after weighing all aspects of the problem. “A paper is being submitted to the Cabinet committee of political affairs committee CCPA) in this connection”, he said.

The Jammu and Kashmir Governor, Girish Chander Saxena, who was also present at the press conference, said till the national policy was evolved on the kidnappings, the state authorities would deal with kidnapping cases professionally on individual merits.

Article extracted from this publication >> October 4, 1991