News Analysis India

Tag: Modi all party meet

  • PM sets tone to bridge J&K gulf

    Express News Service
    NEW DELHI:  Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday said he was working towards removing “Dilli ki duri and Dil ki duri” (distance between between J&K and Delhi and distance between hearts), in a meeting he chaired with 14 leaders of eight parties from the state.

    “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,” the Prime Minister tweeted after the talks at his residence, which lasted over three hours. The meeting came nearly two years after Article 370 was hollowed out and J&K was broken up into two Union Territories. 

    Restoration of statehood, holding the delimitation process, conducting Assembly elections to restore democracy, release of political detainees, rehabilitation of Kashmiri Pandits in J&K, ceasefire agreement with Pakistan, Article 370 and  protection of land rights were among the key issues that came up for discussion. 

    While Modi heard all political leaders individually and expressed the Central government’s willingness to fulfil most demands raised by them, he was silent when Article 370 was raised by National Conference leaders Farooq and Omar Abdullah, PDP chief Mehbooba Mufti and CPM leader Mohammad Yousuf Tarigami, sources said.

    The eight parties that were represented included the National Conference, the PDP, the BJP and the Congress. Union home minister Amit Shah, National Security Advisor Ajit Doval and Lt Governor Manoj Sinha participated. 

    Restoration of statehood was raised by all 14 leaders. Shah said the government is committed to restoring it, but that would happen after the delimitation process and holding of elections is over. Modi sought cooperation from all parties irrespective of political differences to expedite the process. 

    After the talks, Farooq Abdullah emphasised on the importance of building trust in J&K, saying that restoration of full statehood will be the first trust-building exercise from New Delhi’s side. His son Omar Abdullah said the prime minister was told about their opposition to what was done on August 5, 2019, when the decision to revoke J&K’s special status and bifurcate the state into two Union Territories was announced in Parliament. He added that it was the duty of the Centre to restore the broken trust of the people and said delimitation is not necessary. 

    370 abrogated immorally, says MuftiPDP chief Mehbooba Mufti said she told the PM that the people of J&K do not accept the manner in which Article 370 was abrogated “unconstitutionally, illegally and immorally”

  • J&K’s Gupkar alliance to attend Centre’s all-party meeting, pitch for Article 370 restoration

    Express News Service
    SRINAGAR: The People’s Alliance for Gupkar Declaration on Tuesday decided to attend the all-party meeting convened by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in New Delhi on June 24. The leaders of the six-party alliance will pitch for restoration of J&K’s special status and release of prisoners.

    “We will be attending the meeting in New Delhi on June 24. All the Gupkar alliance leaders who have been invited for the Delhi meet will attend,” the Gupkar alliance chairman and National Conference president Farooq Abdullah told reporters after a meeting of leaders of the alliance at his residence today.

    Four Gupkar Alliance leaders including Farooq Abdullah, his son Omar Abdullah, PDP chief Mehbooba Mufti and CPM leader Mohammad Yousuf Tarigami are among 14 J&K political leaders invited for the June 24 meeting to be chaired by PM Modi.

    With the Centre not specifying any agenda for the meeting, Abdullah said they can talk on any and every issue. “Our stand is known to everybody,” he said.

    The Gupkar alliance spokesman and CPIM leader Mohammad Yousuf Tarigami said they want to assure people of J&K and Ladakh that they will be pleading their case before the PM. “We will plead the case of the people of J&K and Ladakh. Whatever guarantees we have under the Indian constitution, we will appeal to the PM for protection and safeguarding of those guarantees. We will appeal to him to reconsider the August 5, 2019 decisions.”

    The Gupkar alliance, which has vowed to fight for Article 370 restoration, was formed by seven parties in October last year. However, one of the parties, Peoples Conference, quit the alliance in January this year after the DDC election results.

    The PDP chief and former CM Mehbooba Mufti said they are not against the dialogue. “We hoped that the Centre would take some confidence building measures. After the outbreak of COVID-19, prisoners were released outside J&K and the same should have been done in J&K,” she said.

    “If they really want to reach out to people and us (mainstream leaders), whom they have been humiliating for the last two years, at least they should have released the political prisoners,” she said and demanded release of all political prisoners of J&K. “And those who cannot be released should be brought back to J&K,” she added.

    Another Gupkar Alliance leader and Awami National Conference vice president Muzaffar Shah said there would be no compromise on Article 370 and 35A.

  • J-K’s Gupkar alliance to attend Centre’s all-party meeting

    By PTI
    SRINAGAR: The People’s Alliance for Gupkar Declaration (PAGD) will attend the all-party convened by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, alliance chairperson Farooq Abdullah said on Tuesday.

    The announcement came after PAGD leaders met at Abdullah’s Gupkar Road residence here to discuss the Centre’s invitation.

    The leaders of the constituent parties, including Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) president Mehbooba Mufti and CPI(M) leader M Y Tarigami, arrived at the residence of Abdullah, who is also the National Conference president, at 11 am.

    Over the past two days, Jammu and Kashmir’s political parties held intra-party discussions.