Abdullah, Mir, Raina attend high tea’ meeting with J-K LG; Mehbooba skips

Srinagar: PDP president Mehbooba Mufti was the only notable absentee from the “high tea” party hosted by Jammu and Kashmir Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha at the Raj Bhavan here on Wednesday.

Sinha invited heads of various political parties in the union territory for a meeting to discuss the prevailing situation including the Amarnath Yatra scheduled to begin Thursday, officials said.

National Conference president Farooq Abdullah, J-K BJP chief Ravinder Raina and Congress president G A Mir were among the notable leaders who attended the meeting.

A spokesperson of the PDP said it was strange that the office of the Lt Governor was inviting leaders for a high tea meeting at such a sensitive time.

“If there were something to be discussed, an agenda should have been set for the meeting,” PDP chief spokesperson Suhail Bukhari said.

Earlier, reacting to the invitation, Bukhari tweeted, “For a meeting in the evening that is supposed to be a serious affair, the invitation is sent in the morning. What a mockery! By the way what happened to the outcome of the all parties meeting chaired by @PMOIndia in which @OfficeOfLGJandK and @HMOIndia was also present?”

He also said it was ironic that the security apparatus denied Mehbooba permission to visit her father Mufti Mohammad Sayeed’s grave in Anantnag district on the same day when the administration was inviting her for the meeting.

Abdullah, while talking to reporters on the sidelines of a function here, said he has received the invitation but has not been informed about its agenda.

“I arrived from Delhi today only. I have received the card but the agenda is not mentioned. I will go there and find out what is it all about,” he said.

The Congress also lamented that no agenda was fixed for the meeting.