Rajnath Singh to head all party delegation to Kashmir

NEW DELHI: An all-party delegation led by Home Minister Rajnath Singh will visit Jammu and Kashmir on September 4 and is expected to interact with a cross section of people as part of efforts to bring peace in the Valley which has been witnessing unrest.

The delegation will visit Jammu and Kashmir on September 4 and the Home Minister will lead it, a Home Ministry spokesperson said.

The delegation is expected to meet a cross section of people, individuals and organisations in its efforts to bring peace in Kashmir Valley which has been witnessing unrest after the killing of Hizbul Mujahideen commander Burhan Wani.

The Home Minister yesterday had a hour-long meeting with BJP President Amit Shah, Finance Minister Arun Jaitley and MoS for PMO Jitendra Singh and discussed with them the modalities of the all-party delegation.

Sources said the meeting discussed the possible individuals and groups with whom the delegation may interact during its tour of the troubled state.

The government has sounded out different political parties to convey the names of their functionaries who will be part of the team.

Yesterday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi had spoken about the Kashmir situation in his ‘Mann Ki Baat’ programme.

“‘Ekta’ (unity) and ‘Mamata’ (affection) was the crux of all interactions I had recently on Kashmir situation,” he had said.

Modi said those pushing youth towards stone pelting in Kashmir will some day have to answer them. He also said that all political parties spoke in one voice on Kashmir, sending out a strong message to the world as well as separatists

Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti had met the Prime Minister on Saturday.
PTI