Prime Minister Narendra Modi reportedly promised restoring statehood to Jammu and Kashmir soon after a three-hour meeting with the top political leaders of the region.
In all 14 leaders from eight mainstream political parties of Jammu and Kashmir, including four former chief ministers, attended the meeting for the political process ahead in the region.
Jammu and Kashmir has been under the President’s Rule since 2018 when the BJP withdrew support from then chief minister Mehbooba Mufti’s government.
#WATCH Prime Minister Narendra Modi holds meeting with Jammu and Kashmir leaders in Delhi pic.twitter.com/8nDYDzdTfy
— ANI (@ANI) June 24, 2021
Alongwith father-sun Abdullah duo—Farooq and Omar—many other local leaders attended the meet which also included Union home minister Amit Shah and National Security Advisor, Ajit Doval.
As per the NDTV, the sources said Modi said he wanted to remove Dilli Ki Duri as well as Dil Ki Duri.
Further, as per sources, the prime minister was patient in lending an ear to suggestions and inputs from all participants. “It was an open discussion which revolved around building a better future for Kashmir,” said a source.
The discussion also involved delimitation or redrawing the assembly and Lok Sabha constituencies and Modi urged parties to get on board on the exercise.
The assembly elections, whenever it’s held, would be the first time since Jammu and Kashmir lost its special status under Article 370 in 2019 and was bifurcated into two Union Territories.
“The main focus of the meeting was to strengthen the democratic process. PM said that we are fully committed to the democratic process in J&K. He stressed that the holding assembly elections just like the successful conduct of District Development Council elections is a priority,” government sources said.
Later, Congress leader Ghulam Nabi Azad said they made five demands in the meeting: (a) Grant statehood soon; (b) Conduct assembly elections to restore democracy; (c) Rehabilitation of Kashmiri Pandits in J and K; (d) Release of all political detainees and (e) domicile rules.
Mehbooba Mufti said the talks were in positive spirit.
PDP’s Mehbooba Mufti says ‘talks were in positive spirit.’
I said ‘People of J&K are in bad state, they’re angry. The unconstitutional, illegal & immoral way Art 370 was removed isn’t acceptable to people. We’ll struggle for Article 370, it’s our right’https://t.co/RZHKU3wOei pic.twitter.com/lBAaWlfMrD
— Republic (@republic) June 24, 2021
Minister of State Jitendra Singh said that extensive discussion on delimitation happened, and all political parties agreed to take part in it.
This is Centre’s first outreach to J and K leaders since August 2019. In December, local body elections were held in Jammu and Kashmir in which BJP emerged the largest single party with 74 seats.
