Jammu, August 8
Extending the Jammu bandh call till August 14, the Amarnath Yatra Sangharsh Samiti today said they would not hold talks with the Central delegation reaching here tomorrow as the team included Mehbooba Mufti of the PDP and Farooq Abdullah of the NC.
The samiti made it clear that the dialogue should focus on their main demands of land restoration to the Amarnath Shrine Board, recall of Governor N.N. Vohra and empowering the Shri Amarnath Shrine Board.
Addressing a press conference here today, Samiti leader Brig Suchet Singh (retd) said regarding talks with the four-member committee constituted by the Governor, “We will hold a dialogue with the panel only when we get some indication that it will focus on the core issue of restoration of land to the shrine board.” At the same time, he made it clear that a congenial atmosphere must be created prior to a meaningful dialogue.
Clarifying on their demand, they said the government should call back the Army, which had been deployed in large numbers, and also lift the curfew.
‘Jammu judges fleeing valley’: Jammu Bar Association president B.S. Salathia, who is also a member of the samiti, alleged during the press conference that judges from Jammu were being harassed in Kashmir and many of them had been forced to flee to Jammu.
