“I would request this government to call for an all-party meeting under the chairmanship of the Prime Minister”.
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Pitching for an early start to a dialogue process with people of Kashmir valley, Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti today asked Prime Minister Narendra Modi to seize the opportunity created by the unrest to “win the hearts” of the masses and solve their problems, the way Atal Bihari Vajpayee did.
The unrest in Kashmir since the killing of terrorist leader Burhan Wani a month ago, has claimed 57 lives so far and injured more than 3,000 individuals. School, colleges are shut, there is nearly nil attendance in Secretariat, ‘ Leader of Opposition in the Rajya Sabha Ghulam Nabi Azad said raising the issue in the Rajya Sabha.
The Opposition parties also demanded stopping the use of pellet guns on protesters, even as one member demanded withdrawal of AFPSA from the Kashmir Valley and withdrawal of the dominating presence of army from civilian areas.
Mufti met Union home minister Rajnath Singh on Monday to discuss Kashmir issue while the opposition has demanded a discussion in Parliament. Everything is paralysed, all administration, all educational institutions.
“In such circumstances, we want to awaken the government”.
Over 8,000 people, including security personnel, have been injured, while 410 eye surgeries and 1,650 other surgeries are reported to have been done because of the use of pellet guns on protesters, he said. Raising the issue of pellet guns and shoot-at-site orders, Azad said the people were eager to know the PM’s stance on the issue.
The leaders suggested an all-party meeting and visit by an all-party delegation to the strife-torn Valley in the same manner as occurred in 2010.
Warning that “the use of pallet guns is not a solution at all”, he offered support of his Congress party to any endevour to restore peace in the state. “Use of these pellet guns are inhuman and criminal”, said CPM leader Sitaram Yechuri.
Sharad Yadav (JD-U) said the silence of government on the issue was painful and demanded Prime Minister make a statement. There is no statement from the Prime Minister or Home Minister.
Samajwadi Party member Neeraj Shekhar said, “The youths killed were Indians or not?” “Therefore, please send an all-party delegation immediately and we want the Prime Minister or somebody to respond”.
“Is issue par bhayanak shanti hai (there is terrible peace on the issue)”, he said.
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Minister of State for Parliamentary Affairs Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi however said the central government was willing to discuss the crisis and that there should be “no doubt” of the establishment’s “commitment” to the state.
