An all-party delegation that will visit Kashmir tomorrow concluded its meeting in New Delhi, with Home Minister Rajnath Singh saying they will meet again after their trip to the Valley, ANI reported on Saturday. Singh said the central government received suggestions on the unrest in Kashmir from every party that attended the briefing. Home Ministry officials said the minister had also approved the use of chilli-based PAVA shells for crowd control in the state.
Representatives from various parties issued statements after the meeting, emphasising the need to keep “channels of dialogue” constantly open and calling for the resolution of the ongoing crisis through “tangible action”. Congress leader Ghulam Nabi Azad said the government had to decide who the stakeholders in the matter were.
Communist Party of India (Marxist) General Secretary Sitaram Yechury said the government needed to invite the Hurriyat Conference for talks with the delegation, according to PTI. He added that the government needed to announce confidence-building measures during the committee’s visit to Kashmir and ban the use of pump action guns by security forces.
The delegation is scheduled to engage in dialogue with a range of citizens, representatives and organisations in a bid to address the unrest in the region, officials told PTI earlier this week. Daily life in the Valley has been affected since protests erupted after the killing of Hizbul Mujahideen militant Burhan Wani on July 8. So far, at least 71 people have been killed and thousands injured in the region because of the unrest.
Limited-time offer: Big stories, small price. Keep independent media alive. Become a Scroll member today!
Our journalism is for everyone. But you can get special privileges by buying an annual Scroll Membership. Sign up today!