Sanjeev Pargal
JAMMU, Aug 28: For the first time during 51-day long unrest in Kashmir, top Central Ministers and BJP president Amit Shah this evening held a joint meeting in the Union capital to review the situation prevailing in the Valley and measures taken by the Centre and State Governments to defuse the tension besides composition of the All Party Delegation to be sent to Jammu and Kashmir.
Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh, Finance Minister Arun Jaitley, BJP president Amit Shah and Minister of State in the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) Dr Jitendra Singh held an emergency meeting late this evening for more than one and a half hour at the residence of Rajnath Singh for detailed review and assessment of Kashmir situation, where unrest today entered into 51st day with 70 lives already lost and over 8000, half of them para-military and police personnel, injured.
This was first joint meeting between top Central Government representatives and ruling party chief to discuss Kashmir unrest though the Ministers and the BJP president had been assessing it separately with the concerned.
Sources told the Excelsior that Union Minister and the BJP president were of the view that things had gradually started moving towards positive direction with joint efforts of Centre and State Governments though there was no let up in the protests in the Valley as “majority of them were Pakistan or militant sponsored”.
They were of the view that “very clear and categorical directions” have gone to “those dealing with the situation”. One that doors of the Centre are always open for talks with those who eschew violence and follow the agenda set by Atal Behari Vajpayee and Narendra Modi and reiterated by Rajnath Singh during his recent visit to Srinagar and second, the protests will be dealt with very effectively by para-military and police personnel.
“The Government has already asked all para-military companies of CRPF, which had been deployed in the Kashmir valley for Shri Amarnath Ji yatra to stay there till the unrest while additional companies of BSF have been deployed to tackle the protests,” they said, adding that security forces have been exercising utmost restraint in dealing with the situation, which was evident from over 4000 para-military and police personnel getting injured.
According to sources, the composition and mandate of All-Party Delegation to be sent to Jammu and Kashmir was discussed threadbare in the meeting and it was decided to send invitations to all political parties across the country to depute their representatives to join the delegation.
The top brass of the Centre and the BJP decided that Home Minister Rajnath Singh will personally lead the delegation. Though several dates were being discussed for visit of the delegation, it could possibly take place on September 3.
“The Centre decided to follow 2010 practice in the terms of All Party Delegation,” they said, adding the delegation would also visit Jammu, where the BJP has massive mandate with both Lok Sabha seats in its kitty and 25 MLAs.
The delegation could have stay of two or three days in Jammu and Kashmir and its visit could take place within a week’s time.
Sources said Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti has been asked to prepare ground work for the visit of the delegation, which would like to meet maximum number of people to listen to their grievances. The delegation would give at least two days to the Valley.
On economic front, the Government and BJP top brass was of the view that amount of Rs 80,000 crore worth Prime Minister’s Development Plan (PMDP) was being released for Jammu and Kashmir Government but due to the unrest, there has been some delay. However, in some cases, the funds would be released as soon as the normalcy starts returning.
There was unanimity among the Ministers and the BJP president that Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti was doing her best to restore peace in the Valley and she should be extended every kind of support by the Centre Government, sources said.
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