New Delhi, April 3
Former Home Secretary N.N. Vohra, who has been appointed the interlocutor by the Centre to talk to all groups in Jammu and Kashmir, said today that he would begin his work on April 20.
After a 20-minute meeting with Deputy Prime Minister L.K. Advani in which senior officials of the Home Ministry were present, Mr Vohra said he would first meet senior leaders of the state government and National Conference.
He said his programme with regard to the groups he would meet would be decided according to the situation on the ground.
Mr Advani and other officials briefed him on the present situation and the task he is expected to take up.
SRINAGAR: National Conference President Omar Abdullah has reiterated his party stand on granting autonomy to Jammu and Kashmir, while seeking to address the problem in the state through negotiations “in view of the foreign dimension”.
He announced reconstitution of the Working Committee and other cadres of his party, which would be the first reshuffle after he took over the reigns of the National Conference from his father and former Chief Minister, Dr Farooq Abdullah in June last.
Addressing a press conference, the first after his party’s debacle in the last Assembly elections in October last, Mr Omar said his party had no hesitation in meeting the Centre’s chief negotiator on Kashmir, Mr N.N. Vohra. He said the NC’s main negotiations plank would be restoration of internal autonomy to this trouble-torn state.
Mr Omar, who represents the Srinagar constituency in the Lok Sabha, criticised the PDP-led coalition government in Jammu and Kashmir on its ‘healing touch’ policy. He said this was necessary, but needed to be taken to the grassroots level. He regretted that security-related issues, including release of detaineers, were being looked after by the Central Government.
The former Union Minister of State for External Affairs expressed concern over the failure of the coalition government to present Budget for the current financial year.
Earlier, announcing the reconstitution of his party within a fortnight, the National Conference President said the party election would be held in accordance with the guidelines issued by the Election Commission.
