Chidambaram to lead all-party team to J&K

NEW DELHI - The all-party delegation, visiting Jammu and Kashmir on Monday to assess the ground situation in the State which has been in the grip of violence since June, will be led by Union Home Minister P. Chidambaram.

Almost all parties have nominated their parliamentary party leaders or senior leaders to the delegation, indicating their serious approach to the mission which is being undertaken in keeping with the decision of the all-party meeting on Jammu and Kashmir, convened here by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on Wednesday.

Other heavyweights in the delegation include Arun Jaitley and Sushma Swaraj, BJP leaders in the Rajya Sabha and the Lok Sabha respectively; CPI(M) leader in the Lok Sabha Basudeb Acharia; and CPI leader in the Lok Sabha Gurudas Dasgupta. Parliamentary Affairs Minister Pawan Kumar Bansal will also be a part of the delegation. Apart from Mr. Chidambaram and Mr. Bansal, there would be two other leaders from the Congress whom the party has not yet named.

Congress president Sonia Gandhi reviewed the situation in Jammu and Kashmir at a meeting here on Friday with senior leaders of the party, including Defence Minister A.K. Antony, Health Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad and Minister of State in the PMO Prithviraj Chavan.

The People's Democratic Party (PDP), which does not have any MPs, will join the all-party delegation in the Kashmir Valley. PDP leader Mehbooba Mufti had attended the all-party meeting here.

The high-level delegation will remain in the State for two days and meet different sections of the people. It will travel to Jammu on Tuesday, sources in the government said. The delegation will meet leaders and representatives of various political parties and others to seek their views on finding ways to restart the process of dialogue with all sections in the State. Over 85 people have died since June 11 as bursts of violent incidents, including stone-throwing and police firing, have rocked the Valley.
Courtesy : The Hindu