All-party delegation arrives in Kashmir

An all-party delegation headed by Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh arrived here on Sunday on a two-day visit to the Kashmir Valley.

The delegation members decided to travel by road in a secure convoy of cars from the Srinagar International Airport to The Lalit Grand Palace where they will meet various local leaders.

Sources said Rajnath too would stay at the hotel.

During his last two visits, the Union Home Minister stayed at the Nehru guest house adjacent to Raj Bhavan when he held meetings and met various delegations.

The sources said it was to send out a message that the delegation was a non-governmental exercise that a private hotel was chosen for the the stay of the party leaders.

The delegation includes Finance Minister Arun Jaitley, Minister of Food and Public Distribution Ram Vilas Paswan and Minister of State for Development of North Eastern Region Jitendra Singh.

Other prominent members are Congress leaders Ghulam Nabi Azad, Mallikarjun Kharg and Ambika Soni, Communist Party of India's D. Raja, Communist Party of India-Marxist Sitaram Yechury, and All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul President Muslimeen Asaduddin Owaisi.

--IANS

sk/ksk/vt