Srinagar, October 10
Prime Minister Manmohan Singh here today urged the political parties in Jammu and Kashmir to play their role to end the regional and communal tension in the state that had arisen due to the Amarnath land transfer row.

Talking to mediapersons after meeting leaders of various political parties at the SKICC here this evening, Manmohan Singh regretted the violence over the transfer of a piece of land to the Amarnath Shrine Board. He said the recent incidents showed that there was some resentment towards the government among a section of the youth on certain issues.

Various leaders of the political parties who had detailed meetings with the Prime Minister included former Chief Minister and senior Congress leader Ghulam Nabi Azad, Union minister for water resources and JKPCC chief Saifuddin Soz, PDP president Mehbooba Mufti, Abdul Rahim Rather of the National Conference, state secretary of the CPM Mohammad Yusuf Tarigami, Hakeem Mohammad Yasin of the PDF and Usman Majid, a former MLA, and Bhim Singh of the Panthers Party. National Conference president Omar Abdullah, who was scheduled to represent his party, did not attend and deputed his senior party leader Abdul Rahim Rather.

Today's meeting with the Prime Minister came only a day after the leaders and representatives of the political parties had meetings with the visiting Election Commission of India on the issue of holding elections to the state Assembly. The EC is yet to decide on the assessment of its situation in the state, after its two-day visit here this week.