PM Modi to meet 14 J&K leaders in Delhi on June 24; first since abrogation of Article 370

NEW DELHI: As many as 14 leaders from Jammu and Kashmir, including four former chief ministers of the erstwhile state, have been invited for a meeting that will be chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi here on June 24, officials said on Saturday.

Union Home Secretary Ajay Bhalla reached out to these leaders to invite them to the meeting at the prime minister's residence to discuss the future course of action for the union territory, the officials said.

Among those invited are four former chief ministers -- Farooq Abdullah and his son Omar Abdullah of the National Conference, senior Congress leader Ghulam Nabi Azad, and PDP chief Mehbooba Mufti.

Four former deputy chief ministers of the erstwhile state -- Congress leader Tara Chand, People's Conference leader Muzaffar Hussain Baig, and BJP leaders Nirmal Singh and Kavinder Gupta -- too have been invited to the meet.

In addition, CPI(M) leader Mohammed Yusuf Tarigami, Jammu and Kashmir Apni Party (JKAP) chief Altaf Bukhari, Sajjad Lone of the People's Conference, J-K Congress head G A Mir, BJP's Ravidner Raina, and Panthers Party leader Bhim Singh have been invited to the meeting.

The meeting -- the first such exercise since the Centre announced the abrogation of Jammu and Kashmir's special status and its bifurcation into union territories in August 2019 -- is likely to be attended by Union Home Minister Amit Shah and other central leaders.

When contacted, Omar Abdullah said that he had received an invitation and would go along the direction of the party chief.

Sources in the National Conference said that over the next few days, the senior Abdullah will be holding consultations with party leaders.

The Political Affairs Committee of the PDP would also be meeting on Sunday to take a decision about the talks.