Jitendra Singh on J&K: Centre has institutionalised talks process by appointing interlocutor

Jitendra Singh said Kashmiri youths were now keen to move ahead as part of the development journey led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. File Photo

Union minister Jitendra Singh said on Monday the Centre had institutionalised the dialogue process in Jammu and Kashmir with the appointment of a special representative. He said the opposition parties should not politicise the Kashmir issue and extend cooperation instead.

Earlier in the day, Home Minister Rajanath Singh appointed a former director of the Intelligence Bureau (IB), Dineshwar Sharma, as the Centre’s representative to initiate dialogue with all stakeholders in J&K.

“The dialogue process was always continuing (in J&K). But now attempts have been made to institutionalise the process by appointing a senior officer for a sustained dialogue with all stakeholders in all three regions – Jammu, Ladakh and Kashmir – and the rest of India,” the Minister of State (Mos) in the Prime Minister’s Office said.

Singh, who represents Udhampur constituency in the Lok Sabha, said some disgruntled politicians were trying to get their pound of flesh but the people of Kashmir, particularly the youths, were now keen to move ahead as part of the development journey led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

The minister said that opposition parties and their leaders should also come forward to cooperate and not politicise the issue. He said the announcement was also meant to provide adequate opportunity to the youth of Kashmir to reap the benefits of enormous avenues made available to the rest of country by the Modi government.

“Those who are trying to misguide the youth would try to recall that even this year over 30 boys and girls from militancy-ridden districts of Kashmir paved their way to IITs and NITs, which is reflective of the Kashmiri youths’ aspiration of being part of the growth of new India,” the minister said.