The Hindu : PM to visit J&K after budget session

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Tuesday, Mar 19, 2002

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PM to visit J&K after budget session
By Our Special Correspondent

NEW DELHI, MARCH 18. The Vajpayee Government today indicated its intention to kick- start the Kashmir reconciliation process. During the course of his reply to the debate on the motion of thanks to the President's address, the Prime Minister, Atal Behari Vajpayee, announced that he, along with the Union Home Minister and the Defence Minister, would visit Jammu and Kashmir after the budget session.

Reiterating his earlier declaration that the coming elections to the Jammu and Kashmir Assembly would be ``free'' and ``independent'', Mr. Vajpayee challenged the separatist elements - though he did not name the Hurriyat leaders - to enter the electoral arena and test their popular acceptance.

He pointed out that the National Conference was in power in Srinagar because it was a party that had a record of service and dedication to the people of Jammu and Kashmir. Referring to the recent changes in Pakistan (perhaps an allusion to Musharraf's crackdown on the religious extremists), Mr. Vajpayee hoped that these developments would also have a sobering effect in Jammu and Kashmir.

The Prime Minister told the House that during the visit to Jammu and Kashmir, he and his ministerial colleagues would assess the situation, would talk to various people and groups.

He regretted that while the situation was ripe to take a turn, some provocative statements had been uttered (reportedly by his party colleague, Vinay Katiyar, about the holy relic).

Admitting that perhaps the Indian missions abroad were not able to make India's case of Jammu and Kashmir as effectively as it could be, the Prime Minister had a word of praise for the all-party delegations that had visited several world capitals for explaining the fundamentals of our stand. Mr. Vajpayee observed that we may be convinced of the correctness of our stand, our secular commitments and our opposition to another partition on the basis of religion; however, this was perhaps not always so obvious and apparent to the world. And this would have to attended to.

Mr. Vajpayee also told the House that he would be visiting China towards the end of the year, and, before that the Foreign Minister, Jaswant Singh, would undertake a journey to China.

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