ALSO READ | Pro-Freedom Kashmiri leaders express no confidence in visiting Indian Parliamentary Delegation …
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Separatists in a joint effort made a point of staying away, while the delegation of parliamentarians met representatives on the first day of the visit.
The Home Minister, in an hour-long meeting, apprised Modi about the ground situation of the state assessed by the all-party delegation which visited Srinagar and Jammu on September 4 and 5.
While some Opposition leaders met Hurriyat Conference leaders lodged in various sub jails, hardliner Syed Ali Shah Geelani refused to meet them. He has already given Rajnath his feedback. More than 30 delegations comprising 300 members from political parties, civil society, University teachers, fruit growers, students and intellectuals have presented their view before the delegation, he said.
The Congress will be represented by Lok Sabha leader Mallikarjun Kharge and Rajya Sabha veteran Ambika Soni.
“We also asked the government to include those groups who have significant political presence in the state because without holding discussions or without their suggestions, we can not move forward”, Kharge said.
Yechury spoke a day after some leaders from the all-party delegation of MPs, who had gone to meet separatist leaders, were snubbed.
The separatists had yesterday rejected Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti’s invitation for talks with the all-party delegation. Parliament is the highest panchayat [village council] of a democracy and it’s very serious about the Kashmir issue. Today, he will meet all members of the delegation to review the outcome of their visit.
Kashmir has been on the boil since the killing of Hizbul Mujahideen commander Burhan Wani on 8 July.
Sources said the members of the all-party delegation will chalk out future plans for Jammu and Kashmir in their meeting on Wednesday.
“There are no two ways about the fact that Jammu and Kashmir is a part of India, was a part of India and will be a part of India”, Singh said while spelling out the Centre’s stand.
He said the all-party delegation has taken suggestions from the people who interacted with it for improvement of situation in Kashmir.
The members have asked the Centre and the state government to take steps to ensure that educational institutions, government offices and commercial establishments start functioning normally.
“As far as talks are concerned, our doors are open to everyone who wants peace and normalcy”. 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.
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Rajnath Singh said that the government was anxious about the situation in J&K.
