NEW DELHI: Prime Minister Narendra Modi held talks for three consecutive hours with top political leaders of Jammu and Kashmir at his Delhi residence today after the special status of Jammu and Kashmir was abolished in 2019. A total of 14 leaders, including four former Chief Ministers of the state, participated in this conversation. Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha, Union Home Minister Amit Shah, Union Minister Jitendra Singh and NSA Ajit Doval attended the meeting. According to sources, the PM told the leaders of Jammu and Kashmir that he is committed to restore the statehood of Jammu and Kashmir.
As many as 14 leaders of eight mainstream political parties, including four former chief ministers of Jammu and Kashmir, participated in the meeting with an aim to set the political process in the state. The state has been under President’s rule since 2018, when the BJP withdrew support to the then Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti government.
Union Home Minister Amit Shah and National Security Advisor Ajit Doval led PM Modi during a meeting in a large hall at the Prime Minister’s residence.
While no specific agenda of the meeting has been revealed so far, reports suggest that it may include delimitation or rescheduling of constituencies in the state as it heads towards assembly elections after bifurcation of Jammu and Kashmir into two union territories. The first step.
The Gupkar Alliance, a group of seven parties led by former chief minister Mehbooba Mufti and National Conference leader Farooq Abdullah, had said they would press for restoration of full statehood and special status at the meeting. Congress has also supported his demand.
Farooq Abdullah told reporters before the meeting, “I am going to the meeting. I will put the demands there and then talk to you.” “We have not been given any agenda. We will attend the meeting to know what the Center is offering,” said Gupkar alliance spokesperson and CPI(M) leader Mohammad Yusuf Tarigami.
On the other hand, the central government says that restoration of state status will be considered “at an appropriate time”, but that time has not yet come.
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