Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti met Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh in Delhi to discuss the situation in the Valley on Monday as many areas continued to be under curfew for the 31st consecutive day. After the two-hour meeting, Mufti said that she had urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi to seize the opportunity to "win the hearts" of the public and solve their problems, reported PTI.

Apart from Singh and Mufti, Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar, Minister of State for PMO Jitendra Singh, National Security Adviser Ajit Doval, Home Secretary Rajiv Mehrishi and Joint Secretary (Kashmir) in the Home Ministry Gyanesh Kumar were also present at the meeting, reported the Hindustan Times. She told PTI, "I am hopeful that the Prime Minister will take this as an opportunity to initiate dialogue with people in Jammu and Kashmir to address their problems.”

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Meanwhile, the toll in the state rose on Monday to 55 after a youth, who had suffered pellet injuries to his head during clashes on Friday, died in a hospital, reported PTI.

An official told PTI that fresh restrictions were imposed in six police station areas of Srinagar – Nowhatta, Khanyar, Rainawari, Safakadal, Maharajgunj and Batamaloo – as a precautionary measure to maintain law and order. Curfew was also in place in Chadoora and Khansahib towns of Budgam district, Anantnag town and other places.

The Valley, which has seen unprecedented violence after Hizbul Mujahideen commander Burwan Wani was gunned down on July 8, has not yet returned to normalcy. Schools, colleges, business establishments and petrol pumps remained shut and public transport services have not resumed either. According to officials, attendance at government offices and banks has also not improved. Mobile internet services continued to remain down in the entire Valley, and outgoing calls from prepaid connections have also been suspended, reported PTI. Separatist groups have extended the call for a shutdown in Kashmir till August 12.

The issue was brought up in the Rajya Sabha earlier in the day when the Opposition asked the government to start a political process to normalise the situation, reported The Indian Express. Congress member and leader of Opposition Ghulam Nabi Azad urged the prime minister to break his silence on the issue and make a statement. He said, “The situation there is very tense and it is regrettable that the government is watching from the sidelines. Not a word from the prime minister." Sitaram Yechury, too, asked the government to call for an urgent meeting of all parties.