The Hindu : NDA yielding to Farooq, says Shabir Shah

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Wednesday, Sep 04, 2002

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NDA yielding to Farooq, says Shabir Shah

New Delhi Sept. 3. Terming his visit to Delhi a success, the Kashmiri separatist leader, Shabir Shah, today accused the BJP-led NDA Government of succumbing to ``pressure'' from the Farooq Abdullah Government in Jammu and Kashmir, to sabotage the peace process initiated by the Kashmir Committee (KC).

``The Centre is acting under pressure from Dr. Abdullah and making repeated attempts to scuttle the peace process initiated by the KC chairman, Ram Jethmalani,'' Mr. Shah, said before his return to Srinagar.

He rejected the contention that the denial of a meeting with the Prime Minister, Atal Behari Vajpayee, and the Deputy Prime Minister, L.K. Advani, was a setback to him and said, ``this is a setback to them, for the people of this country have understood that the NDA Government is not serious about resolving the issue. Today or tomorrow, the Government will have to come forward and hold talks.''

Terming his meeting with the KC as ``fruitful'', Mr. Shah said the next round of talks would either be held in Kashmir or at some other place so that people were apprised of the situation in the State. ``The next round is likely to be held in October.''

Mr. Shah had a meeting with Mr. Jethmalani and other members of the KC last night where a decision to continue the dialogue was taken.

Mr. Shah exchanged views with Mr. Jethmalani regarding his meeting with senior officials of the Pakistan High Commission. The Kashmiri leader, who was invited by the KC for talks, met leaders of almost all political parties.

However, the NDA convener and Defence Minister, George Fernandes, held `in-depth talks' with him on the situation. Mr. Shah also met the Congress president, Sonia Gandhi, and the former Prime Ministers, I.K. Gujral, Chandra Shekhar and V.P. Singh.

Hurriyat's campaign

PTI reports from Srinagar:

A day after averting a possible split over ``proxy'' candidates of Peoples Conference being in the fray, the Hurriyat Conference today launched the anti-election campaign in Jammu and Kashmir asking the people to reject the poll process and continue their struggle for right of self-determination.

``The so-called elections cannot be an alternative to the right of self-determination and the people should reject the elections, aimed at formation of a Government, and remove all impediments in the way of the ongoing struggle for the cause of their future,'' the Hurriyat executive member, Mohammad Abbas Ansari, said.

PTI, UNI

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