Rajnath Singh Briefs PM Modi On Kashmir All-Party Visit: 10 Points

Rajnath Singh today briefed Prime Minister Narendra Modi on the two-day visit, which ended yesterday.

The delegation of 26 MPs from 20 parties was in Srinagar overnight on Sunday and visited Jammu for a few hours on Monday, before returning to Delhi. The visit was aimed at finding a solution to the crisis in Kashmir, where over 70 people have died and nearly 10,000 have been injured in the last two months as protesters have clashed with security forces.

Mr Singh has said he disagrees with critics that the visit was a failure. He said the team had "very good interactions" with individuals and groups in the Valley. He had sent out a clear message to separatists, asserting that Jammu and Kashmir will always remain an integral part of India.

"As far as talks are concerned, our doors are open to everyone who wants peace and normalcy. Not only doors, even our ventilators are open for talks," Mr Singh said at a press conference.

He lashed out at members of the separatist group Hurriyat Conference for snubbing some members of the all-party delegation who made individual attempts to reach out to them.

"What the separatists did was neither Kashmiriyat nor Insaniyat (humanity)," the Home Minister said, making it clear that the opposition leaders had tried to meet the Hurriyat Conference in their individual capacity.

He also distanced the centre and his party, the BJP, from ally Mehbooba Mufti's decision to invite separatists for talks with the all-party delegation.

Mehbooba Mufti had invited the Hurriyat for talks - as the chief of the People's Democratic Party and not Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister it has been emphasised - but the separatists rejected it, also refusing to talk to the Left's Sitaram Yechury and three other leaders when they tried to reach out to them on Sunday.

"We wanted to spread a message to the people of Kashmir that we, the representatives of Indian Parliament, want to talk with everyone with the intention of resolving the issue. We understand the pain and sadness of people of Kashmir," Mr Yechury said in Delhi, adding, "We went there to meet the Hurriyat to talk, but they refused. I hope now people will understand."

The Hurriyat has justified the rejection of the offer to hold talks with the all-party delegation saying, "They never officially invited us and at the same time blame us for rejecting it."