Ahead of Ramzan, Amarnath Yatra, J&K parties call for ceasefire
An all-party meet in Srinagar on Wednesday urged the Centre to announce a unilateral ceasefire, ahead of Ramzan and Amarnath Yatra, which would begin in a few days. The demand for ceasefire comes amid rising tensions in the state. In the last 40 days, 69 people including 28 civilians (and a Chennai tourist) have died. CM Mehbooba Mufti said ceasefire will provide relief to masses.
Mehbooba Mufti urges Centre to go the Vajpayee way
At the press briefing after the marathon meeting, CM Mufti urged the Centre to follow the steps of former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee. "The consensus of all was we should appeal to the Government of India to consider, on the eve of Ramadan and Amarnath Yatra, the unilateral ceasefire... The way (Atal Bihari) Vajpayee did a unilateral ceasefire in 2000," she said.
It's important to regain confidence of people, says Mufti
"Crackdowns are happening, encounters are happening and search operations are happening, people are facing a lot of hardship. And now it is the month of Ramadan and Amarnath Yatra is starting, we should make efforts to take steps that restore the confidence of people here," Mufti said.
Deputy CM agrees with Mufti, BJP spokesperson not so much
BJP leader and J&K deputy CM Kavinder Gupta said he agreed with Mehbooba Mufti. However, state BJP spokesperson Sunil Sethi felt ceasefire is not the solution. He said the army had an upper hand. "We have cornered the militants and this breathing period will be used by them to regroup," he explained. National Conference leader Ali Mohammad Sagar said ceasefire will improve the situation.
All party delegation may meet PM Modi
CM Mufti said an all-party delegation may meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi to discuss the situation. "We should request the Prime Minister to implement what he said in his August 15 speech - where he talked about hugging the people of Jammu and Kashmir," she added. On the other hand, Hurriyat saw this marathon meeting as a farce.
Hurriyat leader blames parties for massacre
"These very parties and people are responsible for our misery and massacres. Our suffering is an outcome of the draconian laws put in place here by New Delhi with the full cooperation and support of these pro-India parties," Hurriyat chairman Mirwaiz Umar Farooq said.
