PRAVASISAMWAD.COM
Delimitation, smooth polls are important milestones in restoring statehood as promised in parliament: Amit Shah
The Indian Central Government has set smooth delimitation as a condition to meet long-pending demand of Jammu and Kashmir political leaders.
The Central Government stand was made clear to all the political leaders after a meeting with Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday.
Our priority is to strengthen grassroots democracy in J&K. Delimitation has to happen at a quick pace so that polls can happen and J&K gets an elected Government that gives strength to J&K’s development trajectory: PM
The meeting continued for around three hours. After the meeting the Prime Minister said in a tweet, “Our priority is to strengthen grassroots democracy in J&K. Delimitation has to happen at a quick pace so that polls can happen and J&K gets an elected Government that gives strength to J&K’s development trajectory.”
Farooq Abdullah and his son Omar Abdullah of the National Conference, Congress’ Ghulam Nabi Azad and PDP chief Mehbooba Mufti, all former Chief Ministers and four former Deputy Chief Ministers ‑‑ Tara Chand, Muzaffar Hussain Baig, Nirmal Singh and Kavinder Gupta – were part of the meeting.
Panthers Party leader Bhim Singh, J-K Congress head G A Mir, BJP’s Ravinder Raina, Kashmir Apni Party (JKAP) chief Altaf Bukhari, Sajjad Lone of the People’s Conference, CPI-M leader Mohammed Yusuf Tarigami, and Jammu and Kashmir Apni Party (JKAP) chief Altaf Bukhari, were part of the delegation.
Prominent from the government side in the meeting were were Home Minister Amit Shah and Lieutenant Governor of Jammu and Kashmir, Manoj Sinha.
Home Minister Amit Shah also put stress on delimitation exercise and peaceful elections, as the leaders from Jammu & Kashmir put stress on restoration of statehood to the J&K.
“We are committed to ensure all round development of J&K… the delimitation exercise and peaceful elections are important milestones in restoring statehood as promised in parliament,” Shah tweeted after the meeting.
In his comments to reporters, Ghulam Nabi Azad listed five demands that he raised in the meeting with the Prime Minister. “Granting of statehood, conducting Assembly elections to restore democracy, rehabilitation of Kashmiri Pandits in J&K, release of all political detainees and domicile rules,” he said.
This was the first dialogue between the central leadership and J&K mainstream parties since August 5, 2019, when the Centre revoked Jammu and Kashmir’s special status under Article 370 and bifurcated it into union territories of Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh.