Karat Meets PM, discusses Kashmir issue

CPM general secretary Praksah Karat met Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on Saturday to appraise him of the "serious situation prevailing in Kashmir" and also suggested what needs to be done.

CPM general secretary Praksah Karat met Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on Saturday to appraise him of the "serious situation prevailing in Kashmir" and also suggested what needs to be done.

HT Image

It's unusual for Karat to meet PM on an issue like this, for such duties are usually undertaken by his Politburo colleague Sitram Yechury.

Karat — who recently visited Srinagar and held talks with a wide section of the people — in a letter to the PM wrote that a bold initiative should be taken for political dialogue with all sections, and dialogue should be held without preconditions.

He said there had to be a distinction between dealing with stone-pelting youth and tackling militants.

"Srinagar and other urban centres should be taken out of the Disturbed Areas Act purview which will make the enforcement of the Armed Forces Special Powers Act redundant," he wrote.