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Samiti threatens to boycott talks

Luv Puri and Agencies

JAMMU: The Shri Amarnath Sangarsh Samiti (SASS), that is spearheading the protests over the Amarnath land transfer controversy, said on Friday it would not meet the 17-member delegation led by Home Minister Shivraj Patil if National Conference leader Farooq Abdullah, PDP chief Mehbooba Mufti and Congress leader Saifuddin Soz were part of it.

Samiti member Tilak Raj told The Hindu that the all-party delegation coming here to resolve the issue was expected to be neutral and fair. “How can people who had demanded or worked to revoke the land diversion order to the Shrine Board be expected to be neutral?” he asked.

Samiti convenor Leela Karan Sharma said: “We have come to know that these Kashmiri leaders have been included in the delegation. Therefore we doubt the integrity of this delegation since they are responsible for the present turmoil in the State.”

Farooq steadfast

Reacting to the threat, Mr. Abdullah said he would not pull out of the team, while Ms. Mehbooba said she was ready to back out.

On August 1, when all-party meeting of State leaders was called by Governor N.N. Vohra to defuse the crisis, curfew had to be clamped. The reason was obvious — the Governor had also called Ms. Mehbooba and Mr. Abdullah. Both were held hostage at the Jammu airport by enraged protesters for three hours before they were whisked away to the Raj Bhavan for talks.

Probe ordered

The State government has ordered a probe to ascertain whether the magistrate had sanctioned the Army’s firing on a protest rally in Kathua district in which one youth was killed.

Army spokesman Colonel S.D. Goswami had claimed the firing was resorted to after seeking approval from the executive magistrate.

However, the magistrates deployed on the spot — Tehsildar Sunil Kumar and Naib Tehsildar Avtar Singh — had told journalists that they had not issued an order.

Mr. Vohra held a high-level meeting on Friday to discuss the law and order situation in Jammu.

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