Govt. should engage with all stake holders in J-K: CP (I)

With Kashmir separatist leader Syed Ali Geelani asking the stakeholders not to meet the Centre's all-party delegation, the Communist Party of India (CPI) on Saturday said that it is their position, while the party is off the view that the government should engage with all stake holders in Jammu and Kashmir.

"That is their position, and I have nothing to comment on that. Our stated position is that the government should engage with all stake holders in Jammu and Kashmir," said CPI national secretary D. Raja told ANI.

As the Centre will today brief the members of the all-party delegation the contours of their visit to Jammu and Kashmir, Raja said, "Now, the government has decided to send an all-party delegation. Tomorrow, there will be a briefing from Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh, and we will come to know how the all programme is being organised; what are the meetings going to be there; and what interactive sessions with cross section of people are; we will come to know tomorrow ."

At the meeting chaired by the Union Home Minister, about 30 Members of Parliamentary, who will visit Jammu and Kashmir on Sunday, will be briefed the contours of the visit.

During the preparatory meeting, the MPs will be given a presentation on the issue by top officials of the Home Ministry.

During the two-day visit, the MPs will interact with Governor N.N. Vohra and Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti, and will also be holding meetings with representatives of all political parties and other delegations in Srinagar to bring peace in the restive Valley.

Union Ministers Arun Jaitley, Dr Jitendra Singh and Ram Vilas Paswan will also be part of the delegation, besides leader of the opposition in Rajya Sabha Ghulam Nabi Azad and his Lok Sabha colleague Mallikarjun Kharge.

Besides JD(U) leader Sharad Yadav, CPM general secretary Sitaram Yechury, CPI leader D. Raja, NCP's Tariq Anwar and TMC's Saugata Roy will be the part of the delegation.

Other members of the delegation include Shiv Sena's Sanjay Raut, Akali Dal's Prem Singh Chandumajra, BJD's Dilip Tirkey and AIMIM's Asaduddin Owaisi.

The valley is facing unrest due to protests in the aftermath of the killing of terrorist Burhan Wani on July 8.