Owaisi for follow-up action on all-party delegation's visit to Kashmir

AIMIM chief Asaduddin Owaisi on Tuesday said the Narendra Modi government should adopt a consistent approach on Jammu and Kashmir and take follow-up action after the proposed visit of all-party delegation to the border state.

The Hyderabad MP said now that peace is returning to Kashmir, the central government should not give up the efforts to find a solution so that the cycle of violence does not return to the valley.

An all-party delegation led by Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh is scheduled to visit Kashmir on Sep 4.

Owaisi said he was yet to receive an invitation but came to know about the delegation's visit through media.

"If the delegation goes, it will give a message to people of Jammu and Kashmir that an attempt is being made for restoring peace and normalcy and for continuing the dialogue," he said.

The All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) president, who was part of a similar all-party delegation which visited Kashmir in 2010 in the aftermath of violence in the valley, said his good wishes will be with the delegation. "I only hope that normalcy is restored and there is no more loss of life," he said.

The MP, however, said the present government should take follow-up action after the visit of all-party delegation visit. He recalled that in 2010 the then UPA government did not take any follow-up action and put the report of the all-party delegation in cold storage.

Owaisi said the government should examine the proposals and the three-pronged strategy mooted Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti.

He believes the state and the central government have greater responsibility to ensure that such incidents do not recur.

Owaisi alleged that Pakistan was fishing in troubled waters and this has been always been its approach. "We should not allow such a situation. Enemies will definitely take advantage of this," he said.

The MP said governance, political process and a constant eye on the ground situation can help in preventing recurrence of violence.

On pellet guns, he said a situation should be avoided where pellet guns or guns have to be used. He said nobody can deny the fact that the use of pellet guns made 200 people blind.

--IANS

ms/vd