Call all-party meet: BJP

The BJP on Thursday asked Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to call an all-party meeting to discuss the ongoing Kashmir crisis and inform the opposition about the government’s strategy to tackle it.

The BJP on Thursday asked Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to call an all-party meeting to discuss the ongoing Kashmir crisis and inform the opposition about the government’s strategy to tackle it.

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BJP leader L.K. Advani led the delegation that comprised Sushma Swaraj, Arun Jaitley and 10 J&K MLAs, and handed a memorandum to the PM.

Advani told the PM the government was clueless in the time of an unprecedented crisis.

“Advani ji said there is no writ of the state in Kashmir at present and armed forces are being demoralised. Soldiers have their hands tied, and are even fearing enquiries if they take stern action,” said Leader of the Opposition Sushma Swaraj. “Dilution of the Armed Forces Special Powers Act is being planned and a political package is being talked about.”

Swaraj said that the PM’s response was “positive” and that he assured the BJP of three things: law and order would be restored, the government would do nothing to demoralise the armed forces; and it would share its thinking with all parties.