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New Delhi, Aug 4: Worried by the conflagration in Jammu & Kashmir over the Amarnath row, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh has decided to convene an all party meeting on the issue even as it rushed top home ministry officials to the state to try and defuse the situation that is threatening to take a communal dimension.
The Centre’s move for a consensual approach came even as violence continued with two persons getting killed and 29 being injured, 20 of them security force personnel, in clashes and police firing in Samba town. Jammu continued to simmer as protestors defied curfew at several places, indulging in heavy stone-pelting and blocking traffic at various places amidst flag marches by the army.
That the UPA leadership was apprehensive over situation getting out of hand was evident when it was taken up at the highest political level, with Congress president Sonia Gandhi on Sunday evening holding a meeting with BJP president Rajnath Singh on the subject. Senior Congress leaders Prithviraj Chavan, in charge of J&K as well as former chief minister Ghulam Nabi Azad were also present in the meeting. Ms Gandhi sought the cooperation of the BJP leadership appealing that the matter should be treated differently as J&K was a sensitive state.
The Congress core committee too held consultations separately on the issue, which was followed up with more meetings held by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh this morning. The state government has sought Centre's intervention in ensuring smooth passage of goods laden trucks through Punjab.
Additionally, union home minister Shivraj Patil chaired high level meetings in the home ministry after which top officials including home secretary Madhukar Gupta and defence secretary Vijay Singh were despatched to the state.The Home Minister also spoke to Leader of Opposition LK Advani and BJP leader Arun Jaitley, who was in Jammu, seeking the opposition party’s help in bringing peace into the region.
The all party meeting is likely to be held on August six,official sources said. In the meeting, the Centre will brief the leaders of the political parties about the steps being taken by the Centre and would seek their cooperation in maintaining communal harmony in the state as well as in the country. Apart from the national political parties, all regional parties, including National Conference and People’s Democratic Party, will be invited to attend the meeting.
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