Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, Aug 12: An all-party delegation will visit violence-hit Kishtwar district with a message of peace and communal harmony.
This was decided in the all party meeting chaired by Chief Minister, Omar Abdullah at his office residence here soon after the resignation of Minister of State for Home, Sajad Ahmed Kichloo over Kishtwar clashes.
The meeting unanimously passed a resolution condemning the violence, which started in Kishtwar and then spread to various parts of Jammu division and appealed to the people of the State to maintain communal harmony and uphold the spirit of secularism.
Appreciating the decision of the State Government of instituting a judicial enquiry into the circumstances which led to the violence/disturbance in Kishtwar on August 9, 2013, the all party meeting appealed the Government to reconsider the decision for relief in favour of those whose shops and houses have been damaged/gutted.
It was decided that after the improvement in the situation in Kishtwar and other parts of Jammu division, an all party delegation will visit the affected areas of Kishtwar with a message of peace and communal harmony.
Earlier, while addressing the meeting, Chief Minister said that while the Government would take all measures to restore calm in the clash-hit areas of Jammu division, the political leadership and the civil society as a whole have an important role in bringing back normalcy and harmony in the affected areas. He expressed satisfaction over thaw in the situation and hoped that normalcy will prevail in shortest possible time.
Highlighting the role of civil society and political leadership in such challenging times, the Chief Minister said that the Government and all political parties besides the civil society have to work together for restoring peace for the larger interest of the State and its people. He said the first target in such crisis should be to safeguard the lives and property and bring back peace in affected areas.
The meeting among others was attended by the BJP members Jugal Kishore and Ashok Khajuria, National Conference representatives S S Slathia and Devender Singh Rana, Congress nominees Ravinder Sharma and Janak Raj Gupta, PDP member Ved Mahajan, Peoples’ Democratic Front member Tej Ram Dogra, CPI(M) member Sham Prasad Kessar, Nationalist Congress Party representative Thakur Randhir Singh, Samajwadi Party member Sheikh Abdul Rehman, Shiromani Akali Dal member H S Raina, President Bahujan Samaj Party Tulsi Dass Langeh besides representatives of other local parties.
Deputy Chief Minister, Tara Chand, Minister for PHE, Sham Lal Sharma, Minister for Planning and Development, Ajay Sadhotra, Minister for Housing, Raman Bhalla, Ministers of State Ajaz Ahmad Khan and Dr Manohar Lal were also present in the meeting.
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