Omar targets BJP’s U- turn on Hurriyat

Former Jammu and Kashmir chief minister, Omar Abdullah, said on Tuesday said that the BJP and its government at the Centre have made “a major and much needed” U- turn on Kashmir.

He said that after telling the nation and the world for four years that Hurriyat Conference is irrelevant, the government as well as the BJP now say that they are willing to hold talks with it to find peaceful solution to the Kashmir issue.

“After spending the last 4 years telling the nation & the world how the Hurriyat was irrelevant in Kashmir now the BJP & its’ Government has made a major & much needed Uturn,” Mr. Abdullah wrote on his micro- blogging site Twitter.

He was reacting to BJP’s national secretary and J& K in- charge Ram Madhav statement that the government has made arrangements to hold a dialogue with all the parties concerned in the Kashmir Valley, including the Hurriyat Conference. Speaking to CNN- News18 earlier during the day on Tuesday, Mr. Madhav had also said that the Centre’s

decision to invoke a temporary ceasefire in the Valley during Ramzan was a goodwill gesture but added that it would continue only if militancy ceases. He said, “Earlier, the forces were pursuing a hard- line agenda in the Valley to neutralise terrorists. But, keeping the sacredness of Ramzan, as a gesture of goodwill, the government had asked forces to suspend operations.” He added, “But, if unrest continues then the situation before Ramzan will be restored. ”

Last month, home minister, Rajnath Singh, had said that “If Hurriyat is

ready to talk, we’ve no problem. We’re ready to talk to anyone. Even if Pakistan comes for a dialogue, we’re ready for it.” J& K chief minister, Mehbooba Mufti, welcomed it saying that a peaceful engagement is urgently needed to get J& K out of violence cycle. She appealed Hurriyat “to display maturity”. However, Joint Resistance Leadership comprising Syed Ali Shah Geelani, Mirwaiz Umar Farooq and Muhammad Yasin Malik had said that there is confusion among various functionaries in the government at the Centre.