Srinagar: The Narendra Modi government ministers set to visit different parts of Jammu and Kashmir next week are likely to meet Kashmiri politicians who are expected to be part of an emerging ‘third front’ — a grouping willing to look beyond Article 370, unlike the other Valley-based parties.
Telecom Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad, Education Minister Ramesh Pokhriyal, Minority Affairs Minister Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi, Minister of State for Home Affairs G.K. Reddy and Minister of State for Defence Shripad Naik will make separate visits to the Kashmir division, two senior officials in the administration told ThePrint.
The officials said the five ministers are likely to meet several politicians, some of whom were previously associated with Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
PDP chief and former J&K chief minister Mehbooba Mufti has been under detention since August when the Modi government scrapped the special status of the erstwhile state and bifurcated it into two Union territories.
The meetings in Srinagar come in the aftermath of this move, months after political activity in the valley took a major hit.
“The ministers will meet a number of delegations in Kashmir including that of panches, sarpanches and block development chairpersons. It is likely that politicians, who had recently met with the Lieutenant Governor, will meet the council of ministers here in Srinagar,” a senior official said on condition of anonymity.
The officer was referring to Altaf Bukhari, former PDP leader and a minister in the BJP-PDP government. He had met LG G.C. Murmu along with other politicians earlier this month and handed over a memorandum as well.
Bukhari is reportedly part of a new formation in the works in J&K that is likely to draw its ranks from various political outfits in the UT, and could include activists, analysts and former journalists. The front is expected to prioritise statehood and a permanent domicile law over the restoration of Article 370.
ThePrint reached out to Bukhari for a comment but there was no response until the time of publishing this report.
The schedule of the meetings hasn’t been set yet, added the officials.
Also read: Prepaid mobile connections restored in Jammu and Kashmir after 5 months
The current state of politics in Kashmir
Altaf Bukhari’s meeting with the LG came at a time when mainstream political parties of the Valley have suspended their activities as well as engagement with the Centre and J&K administration due to the continuing detention of senior leaders from parties like the National Conference, PDP, Congress and People’s Conference.
As of now, 20 senior politicians remain under detention at the MLA hostel which was converted into a sub-jail to house the political detainees.
This does not include former chief ministers Omar Abdullah, Farooq Abdullah and Mehbooba Mufti, all three of whom have also been under detention since August.
Soon after meeting the LG, the set of Kashmir politicians also met visiting foreign envoys including the US ambassador to India.
The two meetings triggered several expulsions within the PDP, as directed by Mufti herself.
One of the expelled leaders is former PDP minister Abdul Rahim Rather. Speaking to ThePrint Saturday, he said he will meet the Modi government ministers if invited.
“We are not sure about the purpose of the visit of ministers. The ministers might want to know what the ground situation in Kashmir is like and if that is the case, we might meet them if we are invited,” said Rather.
“As of now we have not been invited to meet. We are not aware of the schedule of the visiting ministers as well,” he added.
The visit
According to the sources quoted above, Naqvi will visit Srinagar on 21 January, Reddy will visit Ganderbal and Manigam on 22 January while Naik will be part of the official function at the Sher-i-Kashmir International Conference Centre (SKICC) on 23 January.
Named after National Conference founder Sheikh Abdullah, SKICC was previously being used as a sub-jail to house over three dozen politicians under detention.
Prasad will visit Baramulla on 23 January and Sopore the day after, said the sources.
The civil administration, according to sources, will facilitate meetings between the ministers and locals of the Valley.
Also read: Kashmir freeze will continue in 2020 as Modi govt’s promises to develop Valley look bleak