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Advani came, Advani saw, Advani reassured

Mukhtar Ahmad in Srinagar

Union Home Minister Lal Kishinchand Advani on Tuesday visited Champanari village in Doda district where 25 members of a marriage party were massacred by unidentified militants.

Advani met the relatives of the victims and personally conveyed his condolences. He assured the locals that the government 'would take all possible steps to root out militancy.'

The home minister said he would hold a meeting on Wednesday with the local government and security forces to review the overall situation in the state.

Advani, who arrived in Jammu accompanied by Union Home Secretary B P Singh and Special Secretary Nikhil Kumar, flew to Doda immediately, from where he drove down to Champanari. The state police chief and other senior officials accompanied him. Later, he arrived in Srinagar and was received by Chief Minister Dr Farooq Abdullah.

He is in Srinagar at the head of a ministerial delegation, which will review the overall situation and developmental needs of the state. The delegation includes Defence Minister George Fernandes, Railway Minister Nitish Kumar, Power Minister P R Kumaramangalam and Tourism Minister Madan Lal Khurana.

Chiefs of the Border Security Force, Central Reserve Police Force and other paramilitary organisations are also accompanying the home minister.

An official spokesman in Srinagar said that several pending issues -- including fiscal needs, phasing out of overdrafts, soft loans and reimbursement of security-related expenditure -- would be taken up in tomorrow's meeting. Sources said the chief minister would press for additional troops for deployment in Jammu region.

Coinciding with Advani's visit, there has been an alarming spurt in militancy-related incidents across the state. In the past 24 hours, 20 people, including six militants and four security force jawans, have been killed. At Surankote, four civilians, three militants and an army jawan were killed.

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