Govt announces Kashmir talks: Here’s how political leaders reacted

Kashmir saw a fresh wave of violence since July last year after government forces shot dead militant leader Burhan Wani.

Home minister Rajnath Singh on Monday announced that former Intelligence Bureau director Dineshwar Sharma will hold talks with “all stakeholders” in Kashmir.

Jammu and Kashmir chief minister Mehbooba Mufti has welcomed Rajnath Singh’s announcement (PTI)

Kashmir saw a fresh wave of violence since July last year after government forces shot dead militant leader Burhan Wani.

On Independence Day this year, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said Kashmir’s problems could only be solved by embracing its people, not through abuse or bullets.

In a series of tweets, Jammu and Kashmir chief minister Mehbooba Mufti, whose People’s Democratic Party is an alliance with the BJP, welcomed the announcement. “Dialogue is a necessity of the hour and the only way to go forward,” Mufti tweeted.

National Conference leader and former Jammu and Kashmir chief minister Omar Abdullah said the government’s decision recognises the “political nature” of the Kashmir issue.

Here’s how others reacted: