Fresh violence erupts as political parties meet to discuss Jammu and Kashmir

New Delhi : An all-party meet on the Kashmir issue failed to evolve any consensus on Wednesday and decided to depute a team, comprising of all political parties, to visit Jammu and Kashmir and evaluate the situation first-hand.

The over five-hour-long marathon meeting, which was presided over by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, discussed at length several issues concerning Kashmir, including the partial withdrawal or dilution of the Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act (AFSPA).

However, the parties failed to reach any consensus on AFSPA changes, with several parties, led by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), opposing any change in it.

The prime minister, speaking at the beginning of the meet, once again reiterated the government?s willingness to sit for talks with anyone who abjures violence.

?I reiterate that we (the government) are ready to talk to anyone who renounces violence. The only way to lasting peace and prosperity in J&K is dialogue,? he said.

Pointing to presence of elements who instigate violence, Singh said, ?Some protests may be spontaneous, but one cannot deny that others are orchestrated by certain groups.?

He also expressed shock at seeing children joining the protests and said, ?I appeal to the people, especially the youth, to renounce violence.?

He added that the present atmosphere in the Valley was not conducive for talks and pledged complete support of the Centre towards the state government for preparing an amiable environment to initiate dialogue.

Congress chief Sonia Gandhi, leading the party delegation, urged on the need for at least some amount of introspection to gauge and solve the Kashmir crisis.

?We must ask ourselves why there is so much angry among the young in Kashmir,? she said, adding, ?Our response should be magnanimous and mature.?

?We should be ready to understand the legitimate aspirations of the Kashmiri youth who have lived in shadow of violence,? Gandhi added.

Emerging from the meeting, Union minister Farooq Abdullah, leader of the National Conference which is in power in J&K, said he was ?not disappointed? with the meeting.

He asserted that there was no ?governance deficit? in the state and said that the prime minister praised J&K chief minister Omar Abdullah, Farooq?s son.

Leader of the state?s Opposition party PDP leader Mehbooba Mufti asserted the need for an unconditional dialogue between the government and separatist groups in Kashmir.

?The starting point is that both sides should not put forward any conditions. The Prime Minister has to offer an unconditional dialogue and the Hurriyat must also reciprocate,? she said.

While supporting the withdrawal of the AFSPA from the state, she added that the changes must be ?something real and concrete and not cosmetic?.

Mufti also supported the release of all arrested persons to build confidence in the Valley.

The BJP, lending its support to all attempts to restore peace and calm, said it will provide constructive cooperation for any talks within the framework of the Constitution.

The party, which had all along being opposing any dilution in the AFSPA, put up its case in support of the continuation of the Act, without any changes.

?There must be no decision (on AFSPA) under any pressure that could demoralize our armed forces,? the BJP asserted.

Sniffing a foreign hand behind the current unrest, the BJP said, ?We can?t ignore that cross-border terrorism from Pakistan behind the crisis.?

BJP chief Nitin Gadkari, former deputy prime minister LK Advani and leaders of Opposition in Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha, Sushma Swaraj and Arun Jaitley respectively, were present in the meet.

The Centre had convened the all-party meet here to discuss the Kashmir situation as violence continued to rock the Valley since mid-June, leaving at least 88 people dead so far.

Almost all major towns of the Valley were under curfew on Wednesday, while air services also remained suspended.