Srinagar, Jun 24 (UNI) Former chief minister and National Conference (NC) president Farooq Abdullah on Thursday morning left for New Delhi to attend the All Party Meeting called by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in the afternoon.
Prime Minister Modi will chair a meeting of 14 leaders from eight political parties in J&K to discuss the future course of action for the Union Territory. This is the first such initiative by the Centre since the abrogation of special status of erstwhile state of J&K on August 5, 2019.
The other leaders, who were invited for the meeting, have already reached New Delhi.
The Centre has invited four former chief ministers – Farooq Abdullah, his son Omar Abdullah, Ghulam Nabi Azad and Mehbooba Mufti, besides four Deputy Chief Ministers – Muzafar Hussain Beigh, Tara Chand, Nirmal Singh and Kavinder Gupta. Leaders of six other political parties -- Mohammad Yousuf Tarigami of CPI(M), Sajad Gani Lone of Peoples Conference, Mohammad Altaf Bukhari of Apni Party, Prof Bhim Singh of Panthers Party, Ravinder Raina of BJP and G A Mir of Congress – were also invited in the meeting.
Meanwhile, Dr Abdullah, who is the chairman of the Peoples’ Alliance for Gupkar Declaration (PAGD) -- an amalgam of five political parties -- had said that the alliance leaders will attend the meeting to know what the Centre has to say as there is no formal agenda for it.
'We would also put forth the demands of the people. “Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) president Mehbooba Mufti, CPI(M) leader Mohammad Yousuf Tarigami and I will attend the meeting called by the Prime Minister to put forth our demands,” Dr Abdullah had said after chairing a meeting on PAGD. The meeting of PAGD leaders was called at Dr Abdullah’s residence on Gupkar road to discuss the Centre’s invitation to mainstream political parties in Jammu and Kashmir for a meeting which will be presided over by Prime Minister Narendra Modi at New Delhi on Thursday.
The PAGD leaders said though there is no set agenda of the meeting, we will put forth our demand including restoration of special status and release of political detainees. “We will accept any decision of the Centre which will be in favour of people of J&K and Ladakh. But, we will reject on the spot any such proposal which we consider against the interest of the people,” they added.
Dr Abdullah held extensive meeting with the party leaders from all the three regions—Ladakh, Kashmir and Ladakh—since the invitation was extended to mainstream leaders. Yesterday, Dr Abdullah met leaders of the party from Jammu region.
Ms Mehbooba, who is the Vice Chairman of PAGD, said that restoration of pre August 5, 2019 position to Jammu and Kashmir will be the main demand at the meeting. “We are demanding what has been snatched from the people of Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh unconstitutionally on August 5,” she asserted.
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