Jammu and Kashmir Governor N.N. Vohra, who chaired an all-party meeting here on Friday to seek the opinion of political representatives on the governance of the State, was advised by regional parties against any “hot pursuit policy in Kashmir.”
Mr. Vohra, in turn, asked the parties to play a role in “motivating the youth to shun the path of violence.”
Security reviewed
Also on Friday, retired IPS officer K. Vijay Kumar, who assumed office as adviser to Mr. Vohra, reviewed the security situation in the Valley at a meeting attended by Director-General of Police S.P. Vaid, the Director-General of Prisons, the special DG and other officers, an official spokesman said.
A Raj Bhawan spokesman said the issues of internal security, law and order, development, educational problems, Amarnath Yatra and the current political scenario were discussed at the all-party meeting.
Mr. Vohra sought the cooperation of all stakeholders for the restoration of peace and tranquillity, the spokesman said.
According to sources, the former Chief Minister, Omar Abdullah, who represented the National Conference at the meeting, and other parties, including Panthers Party, called for an immediate dissolution of the Assembly and a conducive atmosphere for early elections.
Mr. Abdullah urged the Governor to take confidence-building measures and ensure that there was zero-tolerance towards the human rights violations.
Seconding the National Conference’s demand for dissolving the Assembly rather than keeping it in suspension, Panthers Party’s Harsh Dev Singh said, “No political party or political combination has the number to stake claim to power. Therefore, the Assembly should be dissolved.” However, both the PDP with 28 seats and the BJP with 25 seats in the 87-seat Assembly maintained silence on the issue.
‘BJP-PDP misrule’
Sources said the Congress underlined that the misrule due to “the unholy alliance between the PDP and the BJP had caused damage to the State.” However, while the Congress favoured fresh elections, the party left the decision to the Governor, Pradesh Congress Committee president G.A. Mir said.
Democratic Nationalist Party chief G.H. Mir said the main aim of the all-party meeting was to find ways to improve the situation in the state and all political parties gave inputs on how to do it.
“The parties suggested measures to restore peace and offered to support any initiative towards achieving this goal. Violence and killings will not achieve anything,” he said.
Leaders who attended the all-party meeting included National Conference vice-president Omar Abdullah; BJP State president Sat Sharma, Congress State president G.A. Mir; PDP’s Dilawar Mir, CPI(M) State secretary Ghulam Nabi Malik and Panther’s Party chairman Harsh Dev Singh. Independent MLA Engineer Rashid claimed he was not invited.
Mehbooba on Kathua
Former chief minister and Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) president Mehbooba Mufti, who also had a separate meeting with Mr Vohra, raised the issues of Article 35(A) and the Kathua rape-and-murder case.
In her first meeting with Mr. Vohra since demitting the office earlier this week, reportedly told Mr. Vohra that she hoped cases related to the 35-A and Article 370, pending before the courts, “will be pursued with the same zest”.
“The Kathua case should be followed seriously and professionally so that the culprits are punished as per the law ,” the PDP president requested Mr. Vohra.
“My party is hopeful that under Mr. Vohra’s command, the things in the State will not be allowed to go out of control and the situation will be approached with care and caution,” said Ms. Mufti.
Security review
Immediately after assuming office as adviser to the Governor, former IPS oficer K. Vijay Kumar reviewed the security situation in Jammu and Kashmir on Friday, an official spokesperson said.
Mr. Kumar stressed on close synergy between security agencies for maintaining peace and called for better security management of prisons viz-a-viz modern gadgetry and infrastructure, the spokesman said.
Mr. Kumar, a 1975 batch IPS officer of Tamil Nadu cadre, had served in the Kashmir valley as Inspector General of the Border Security Force (BSF) in 1998-2001 when the force was actively involved in the counter-militancy operations.
He was till recently holding the post of senior security adviser to the Ministry of Home Affairs.
(with PTI inputs)