Telangana ends lockdown; schools, colleges to reopen

June 19, 2021 20:55

The National Conference, PDP, Congress and the Communist Party of India-Marxist on Saturday said they will take a call on attending a meeting with the prime minister in Delhi after deliberations within their respective parties.

Fourteen leaders from Jammu and Kashmir have been invited to the meeting that will be chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in New Delhi on June 24 to discuss the future course of action for the union territory.

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.

The PDP will hold a meeting on Sunday to discuss the invitation of the Centre to political parties of Jammu and Kashmir for talks, party president Mehbooba Mufti said on Saturday.

Mehbooba told PTI, "There is no clear-cut agenda about the talks with New Delhi. However, I have asked my party's Political Affairs Committee for a meeting to discuss the same."

The last chief minister of the erstwhile state of Jammu and Kashmir, who had an alliance government with the Bharatiya Janata Party from 2016 to 2018, she said that the decision of whether to participate in the talks would be taken by the party.

"There is no agenda for the meeting but I was conveyed that the meeting is being called to review the general situation and how to take the political process forward. There is no clear-cut agenda," Mehbooba said.

A National Conference leader told PTI, "The party president (Farooq Abdullah) received a phone call from Delhi today, inviting him for the meeting with the prime minister on June 24."

He said the party will sit and discuss the invitation to the meeting over the course of the next couple of days.

"To participate or not in the meeting is a matter of discussion. The party leadership will sit soon and discuss the issue. But, at least, there is a realisation in Delhi now and this meeting is a good thing. Dialogue and democracy go hand to hand in Jammu and Kashmir," he said.

The NC leader also said after the meeting of the party, the meeting of the People's Alliance for Gupkar Declaration is likely to take place to discuss the issue.

The PAGD is an alliance of some parties in Jammu and Kashmir, including the NC and the PDP, that was formed in the aftermath of the Centre's August 2019 decisions.

Jammu and Kashmir Pradesh Congress Committee chief spokesperson Ravinder Sharma said its chief G A Mir has also received an invitation for the meeting.

"The party shall take a view on the issue of participation in consultation with senior leadership in a couple of days," Sharma said.

Earlier during the day, Mir said his party had yet not received any invitation from the Centre.

He, however, added such a step, if taken, was welcome as dialogue with stakeholders was the only way forward. -- PTI

« Back to LIVE

TOP STORIES

2 more Delhi Cong leaders quit over alliance with AAP

Two former MLAs Neeraj Basoya and Nasseb Singh resigned from the primary membership of the party putting the party's Lok Sabha preparations in doubt.

More than 60 Delhi-NCR schools get bomb threats, LG seeks detailed report

All five schools have been evacuated after local police were informed about the emails, they added.

What's Aanchal's Favourite Colour?

Aanchal Singgh, who plays a villain in Netflix's Yeh Kaali Kaali Ankhein, has got an eye for uber-cool streetwear and city-girl-chic.

Needed Quickly! Semiconductor Experts

Semiconductor makers need thousands of engineers and technicians, and though India has one of the largest pool of engineers in the world, they do not have experience in the semiconductor manufacturing space.

Stoinis Or Wadhera? Who Gets Your Vote?

Marcus Stoinis struck a half-century as LSG picked up their sixth win of the season.