As J&K becomes UT, aspiring Kashmiri politicians willing to start afresh

New Delhi: As Jammu and Kashmir (J&K) officially became a Union Territory (UT) on October 31, talks of a new political alternative in the valley are being catalyzed by the Centre.

Senior People's Democratic Party (PDP) leader and former Deputy Chief Minister Muzaffar Hussain Beig and young aspiring politicians are ready to look beyond the abrogation of article 370.

They are willing to start a dialogue with people and engage with the Centre in New Delhi, The Indian Express reported.

A group comprising of three prominent politicians from J&K met an unofficial delegation of Members of European Parliament (MEPs). It was hosted by NSA Ajit Doval in Delhi.

Those who made it to NSA's lunch in Delhi were PDP's Beig, former minister Altaf Bukhari and Congress general secretary and former lawmaker Usman Majeed.

Two second-rung Congress leaders Farooq Andrabi and Channi Singh too met the delegation in Srinagar.

However, Beig said it was too early to comment on anything as there was no agenda at hand.

“First, you should have some agreement on some agenda, then only you can form some political platform – either a new one will come up or an old one could be revived,” he said.

He asserted that after the political leaders and civil society comes at a consensus, they will approach the Government Of India (GoI).

'...not with belligerence – nothing will come out of belligerence – I believe we have to gently tell them we want statehood in future, not today or tomorrow, in the foreseeable future,” Beig said.

Beig also said that he was willing to talk to Bukhari, an important minister in the PDP-BJP coalition.

Bukhari was one of the few leaders who had not been detained after revoking the special status of J&K.

However, the mainstream political parties see the meeting of Kashmiri leaders with Doval as an attempt to install a new political formation in the valley.

Jammu and Kashmir Pradesh Congress Committee (JKPCC) General Secretary Usman Majid, spokesperson Farooq Andrabi and General Secretary Surinder Singh were issued show cause notices for meeting the EU delegation in Srinagar on Tuesday.

The three have also been given one week time to explain their position, according to JKPCC Chief Spokesperson Ravinder Sharma, news agency ANI reported.