Rajnath Singh in Kashmir, says those who believe in 'Kashmiriyat' are welcome for talks

Srinagar: As Kashmir continues to remain tense, Home Minister Rajnath Singh, Wednesday, arrived here on a two-day visit to hold talks with civil society groups, political parties and other stakeholders.

Singh, accompanied by Home Secretary Rajiv Mehrishi and other officials were driven through a tense Srinagar amid heightened security and strict curfew almost all over the Kashmir Valley.

In an attempt to reach out to the locals, the senior Bharatiya Janata Party leader took to twitter account saying, "I will be staying at the Nehru Guest House. Those who believe in Kashmiriyat, Insaniyat and Jamhooriyat are welcome."

The Home Minister asked his cavalcade to drive through the stretch of 12 km through uptown areas of Srinagar "to get a feel of the ground situation".

Singh's visit comes a day after Army Chief Dalbir Singh visited Kashmir and asked the forces to exercise maximum possible restraint while dealing with mobs and uphold human rights.

At least 68 people, including 66 civilians and two policemen, have died in the violence in the valley since July 9, a day after Hizbul Mujahideen militant Burhan Wani was killed by security forces.

Rajnath Singh's visit, his second to Jammu and Kashmir capital in a month, follows a series of meetings the opposition leaders of the state held in New Delhi last week, including ones with President Pranab Mukherjee, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Congress vice president Rahul Gandhi.

The opposition leaders warned the leadership here that a continuing unrest in the state will further alienate the people of Kashmir.