“A delegation consisting of members from 20 political parties flew down to Srinagar to engage people”.
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Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh chaired a meeting of the all-party delegation, which visited the state recently to find a solution for restoring peace in the valley, in the national capital. Neither had we said yes nor no. You know what happened. “They had gone there in their individual capacity”, he told reporters here before flying to Jammu.
Besides these, the Centre will also scrutinise their bank accounts and complete pending investigations in cases against them to send a strong message that those provoking youths in Kashmir Valley to create disturbance do not go unpunished, sources said.
Hurriyat leaders SAS Geelani and Mirwaiz Umar Farooq had refused to meet a group of the all-party delegation that went to Srinagar to hold meetings with all the stakeholders in the state. Some local residents, majority Muslims, especially those residing in the Kashmir Valley, call for greater autonomy or even independence from India.
“Everyone we met has the wish that situation in Kashmir should improve. But what they did proves they have no faith in democracy”. Kashmir has been crippled by unrest for the last 59 days, with prolonged curfew amid violent protests and clashes in which over 74 people have died and almost 10,000 have been injured.
ALSO READ | Pro-Freedom Kashmiri leaders express no confidence in visiting Indian Parliamentary Delegation … He said the “doors are wide open” for talks with anyone interested in peace and normalcy. He reiterated that J&K is and will always remain an integral part of India. “This is a unsafe thing”, said Premachandran, who was a state minister during 2006-11.
During the meeting, the Centre is also likely to review facilities, including top security, provided to Kashmir separatists.
The Home minister Rajnath Singh said that what I learnt from some members of the all-party delegation, who went to meet the separatist leaders, was certainly neither “Kashmiriyat” nor “insaniyat” (humane).
Without making any reference to separatists including Hurriyat Conference, the APD statement asked the Central and state governments “to take steps for a dialogue with all stake holders”.
“Dialogue and engagement is a continuous process”.
The CPI-M leader, who was one of the MPs to try to meet Hurriyat leaders, said it was not a snub.
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The Minister, who is leading an all-party delegation on a two-day visit to assuage the volatile situation in the Valley, said the entire country and Parliament are pained by the situation in Kashmir.
