The PDP leader, Ms Mehbooba Mufti has begun meeting political outfits in New Delhi, as the all-party delegation prepares to leave for Jammu and Kashmir on August 20. Ms Mufti would be meeting the CPI on Friday and CPI(M) on Saturday. She would also be meeting the BSP leaders. While the CPI(M) and CPI toe the PDP line and are in favour of total withdrawal of the Armed Forces Special Powers Act (AFSPA), the BSP appears to be the fence sitter at this juncture. She also intends to meet the parties, which were opposing the total withdrawal of the AFSPA.
Sources disclosed that Ms Mufti decided to hold parleys with the “like minded” parties, after the AICC general secretary, Rahul Gandhi came out in support of the state chief minister, Omar Abdullah. Following Mr Gandhi’s remarks, it has become somewhat clear that the Congress is in no mood to snap ties with the National Conference at this juncture. Also Ms Mufti had gone on record saying that it was “not Sonia Gandhi, but the PMO called to invite her for the all party delegation.”
The CPI national secretary, D. Raja claimed that the delegation is going with an “open mind” and “all of us favour a dialogue.” The hardline Hurriyat faction has said that it would take a decision on whether to meet the all-party delegation. It may be recalled that Ms Mufti has already asked for an “unconditional dialogue.” The Prime Minister, Dr Monmohan Singh, however, made it clear that the government was willing to have a dialogue with any individual or group, provided they do not “espouse or practice violence.”
While the leader of the delegation is yet to be decided by the Congress, the BJP is expected to be represented by the Leader of the Opposition in Lok Sabha, Mrs Sushma Swaraj and Leader of the Opposition in Rajya Sabha, Mr Arun Jaitley. The SP could be represented by the party chief Mr Mulayam Singh Yadav or his brother, Mr Ram Gopal It could be the Rajya Sabha MP, Mr Satish Mishra for the BSP, Mr Prem Gupta from RJD, Mr T. R. Balu from DMK Mr Ram Vilas Paswan from LJP and Mr Gurudas Dasgupta from CPI. Other outfits are yet to decide on their candidates.
The aim of the delegation will be to meet people from various walks of life apart from the political leadership in the state. How successful the delegation is in assessing the situation and inreaching out to various sections in the state will depend to a large extent on the meetings that it’s able to have with the separatist leaders.