US embassy envoys meet NC, Apni Party leaders in Jammu

NC’s Devinder Rana with Graham Mayer and A Sukesh.

Two envoys from the US embassy in New Delhi called on representatives of two mainstream political parties and a security analyst in Jammu on Tuesday and discussed issues of “common interest’’ in the Union Territory after the withdrawal of special status and bifurcation of the erstwhile state of Jammu and Kashmir, according to the National Conference (NC) and Apni Party.

Sources said minister counselor for political affairs in the US Embassy Graham Mayer and senior political adviser A Sukesh held nearly an hour-long meeting separately with NC’s provincial president Devinder Rana, Apni Party spokesperson Vikram Malhotra, and security analyst Brigadier Anil Gupta (retired).

The US envoys are likely to meet BJP leaders here on Wednesday.

Sources said discussions ranged on issues from 4G to post-Article 370 scenario, especially the mood of the people at large and the coming District Development Council (DDC) elections. They also discussed the Praja Parishad movement in Jammu to analyse reasons behind the pent-up feeling of discrimination among Jammu residents in the erstwhile state, according to the parties.

In a statement, the NC said Mayer and Sukesh called on Rana and spoke on issues of “common interest’’ with “focus on socio-cultural richness of unique and diverse” J&K. They discussed a varied range of subjects, including environment, tourism, academics and sharing of knowledge and ideas aimed at promoting universal brotherhood, amity and tranquility between the communities, the party stated.

Apni Party spokesperson Vikram Malhotra said they discussed the current political situation in J&K and the coming DDC elections, and the emergence of Apni Party, among other issues.

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