Three ministers to be part of all-party delegation to Kashmir

Trying to put across the message of its seriousness in finding a lasting solution to longstanding Kashmir problem, the government has decided to include four of its senior ministers in the all-party delegation.

Besides home minister Rajnath Singh, who is leading the delegation, the delegation will have finance minister Arun Jaitley, minister of state (PMO) Jitendra Singh, minister of food and public distribution Ram Vilas Paswan.

Government sources said so far 23 MPs, including four ministers, have confirmed their participation. Among the prominent parties Samajwadi Party and BSP have not confirmed their participation as yet.

The delegation will have also comprise of four senior leaders from Congress - Ghulam Nabi Azad, Ambika Soni, Mallikarjun Kharge, Dr T Subbarami Reddy and senior MPs cutting across party lines such as CPM's Sitaram Yechury, Sharad (JDU), D Raja (CPI), Tariq Anwar (NCP), Assaduddin Owaisi (AMIM ), Badruddin Ajmal (AIUDF), Prem Singh Chandumajra (SAD) JPN Yadav (RJD), Ponnusamy Venugopal (AIADMK), A P Jithender Reddy (TRS), Saugata Roy (TMC), Sanjay Raut (Shiv Sena), Dushyant Chautala (INLD) and Dilip Tirkey (BJD).

The government is keeping its options open of visiting Jammu along with Srinagar and the delegation is likely to visit both the places, sources added.

The government has called a meeting of all the delegates on September 3 to thrash out finer details of the two days visit.

However, a delegation of mainstream political parties of J&K minus BJP that is in Delhi to attend a Conference has advised the All Party delegation not to visit just for the sake of visiting and give out a message that brings confidence and bridges trust deficit.

Nearly all delegates were of the view that Kashmir is on a very dangerous path where not only the mainstream political parties but even the Separatists are fast becoming irrelevant.

The National Conference and PDP members expressed concerns that they are the face of India in J&K but are being treated as traitors in Kashmir because Government of India has failed to keep their dignity.

"We fought election on manifesto but were not allowed to implement it by the government," said an NC member.

Supremo of Awami Ittehad Party (AIP) Er Rashid forewarned the all-party delegation that there will be no takers of autonomy or any other formula whatsoever within the ambit of Indian constitution and if India feels that holding plebiscite contradicts constitution, then Parliament should amend the constitution to accommodate right to self determination for people of J&K.

"If Indian state is under the illusion that Kashmiris will get tired and go off the streets it is living in a denial mood to endorse the problem as the patience of Kashmiris has already crossed its peak," said Rashid.