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| Delhi’s top bosses arriving today | | | Early Times Reporter
Jammu | Aug 8
Who is in team: Pranab Mukherjee, Shivraj Patil, Saif-ud-din Soz Raghuvansh Prasad Singh (RJD), A Raja (DMK), Prithviraj Chavan and Sriprakash Jaiswal, Arun Jaitley (BJP), Amar Singh (SP), Sitaram Yechury (CPM), D Raja (CPI), Mohsina Kidwai (Congress), Farooq Abdullah (NC), Mehbooba Mufti (PDP), K C Tyagi (JD-U), Naresh Gujral (SAD), Akhthar Hassan (BSP) and R C Paswan (LJP)
As the winter capital city continues to simmer with discontent and rage with violent protests, a band of 18 politicians –mostly drawn from the most power faces of the country –will be on town on what is being described by New Delhi as its big hearted reach-out. However, many keen watchers of situation are describing the visit of central team as a weekend break from New Delhi -reason: they are not carrying any agenda, much less the one expected by the Shri Amarnath Yatra Sangharsh Samiti.
The SAYSS has shown its readiness to hold talks with the visiting central team but has made it clear that restoration of land to the Shrine is the only agenda before it. Confusion is still prevailing on the venue of talks as the Samiti has, so far, refused to be engaged at the Raj Bhawan.
There is another condition from the SAYSS on holding talks with the visiting central delegation which may put the Government of India in a awkward situation. The Samiti leadership has made it clear that there will be no meeting with the visiting delegation if it included Dr Farooq Abdullah and Mehbooba Mufti as its members. It may be mentioned here that Farooq and Mehbooba are the parts of 18-member delegation. Now it is to be seen whether the leaders of the delegation dumps the Kashmiri leaders are there is no talk at all.
An 18-member all-party delegation headed by Home Minister Shivraj Patil that includes five other union ministers including External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee will visit Jammu and Kashmir will reach tomorrow to assess situation in the wake of continuing violence in Jammu over the Amarnath land transfer issue.
The other members of the delegation are Arun Jaitley (BJP), Amar Singh (SP), Sitaram Yechury (CPM), D Raja (CPI), Mohsina Kidwai (Congress), Farooq Abdullah (NC), Mehbooba Mufti (PDP), K C Tyagi (JD-U), Naresh Gujral (SAD), Akhthar Hassan (BSP) and R C Paswan (LJP). A TDP member would also be joining the team.
The other ministers are Saif-ud-din Soz (Congress), Raghuvansh Prasad Singh (RJD), A Raja (DMK), Prithviraj Chavan and Sriprakash Jaiswal (both Congress).
The decision to send a delegation was taken at an all party meeting convened by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on August six.
It was not immediately clear as to whether the Shri Amarnath Sangarsh Samiti, a group spearheading the agitation, would meet the delegation. The SASS has, in the meantime, announced extension of its agitation till August 14.
The delegation is also scheduled to travel to Kashmir valley later tomorrow to hold talks with various political parties on the situation.
The government today said it will go "step by step" in finding an amicable solution to the Amarnath land row but refused to be drawn into the controversial debate whether Jammu and Kashmir should be divided.
"We will go step by step," Union Home Minister Shivraj Patil today said when asked if the all-party delegation visiting Jammu will hold direct talks with leaders of Shri Amarnath Sangharsh Samiti, spearheading the ongoing agitation.
Asked if the government would offer a proposal to resolve the land transfer dispute, he told a television channel that "this time we want to hear what they have to say. We will hear first and cull out common points and do something in such a manner to give satisfaction to all concerned".He parried a direct reply to a question whether bifurcation or trifurcation of the state could be a solution, saying it was a "very big issue" and not proper for a minister to comment. It should be left to the government, he said.
On BJP's threat to launch a nation-wide stir to demand restoration of the forsest land to the Shri Amarnath Shrine Board (SASB), he appealed to political parties to refrain from agitations.
Patil said the situation in Jammu and Kashmir had to be handled very carefully to ensure that any step taken to defuse the tension did not hurt the feelings of any section of the society.
He expressed satisfaction that there were no blockades on roads in the state. "We will do best to see that roads are not blocked by agitators," he added. |
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