Cong to attend all-party meet called by J-K govt on situation in Valley

The Congress has decided to take part in the all-party meeting convened by the PDP-BJP government in Jammu and Kashmir today over the security situation in the Valley.

The last all-party meeting called by Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti in June 2017 was boycotted by the Congress.

The meeting comes against the backdrop of the death of a 22-year-old tourist whose vehicle was targeted by stone-pelters.

"We have decided to take part in the all-party meeting to be held by the chief minister today," state Congress president G A Mir told PTI.

He said that at the meeting his party will participate in the meeting and raise the government's "total failure on all fronts" to tackle the worsening security and, law-and-order situation in Kashmir.

According to a government spokesperson, the meeting is scheduled to be held at the Sher-i-Kashmir International Conference Centre (SKICC) at 2pm today.

R Thirumani, a resident of Chennai, and his family were returning from Gulmarg on Monday, when their vehicle was caught in stone pelting near Magam area of Budgam. A stone hit the young man on his right temple and he was rushed to the Soura Institute of Medical Sciences where he died.

Upset over the incident, Mufti had termed it as "murder of humanity", something she said was unheard of in Jammu and Kashmir.