Parliamentary Affairs Minister Pawan Kumar Bansal had been asked to invite parliamentary leaders and presidents of all parties, including Congress and BJP chiefs Sonia Gandhi and Nitin Gadkari, for Wednesday's all-party meeting on Jammu and Kashmir. The People's Democratic Party was also invited, sources in the government said.
The sources said they were hopeful that an all-party delegation could visit the Kashmir Valley and interact with all sections — politicians, separatist leaders, university vice-chancellors, civil society leaders and others.
So far, the sources said, conversations had only been with Chief Minister Omar Abdullah or other National Conference leaders like Union Minister Farooq Abdullah or State Congress leaders. The situation in the Valley, where 80 persons have lost their lives in the cycle of violence that began in June, defied any “unilateral” decision by the government, the sources added.
