Start political dialogue with all stakeholders in Kashmir: Sitaram Yechury

New Delhi: CPI(M), on Friday, sought immediate start of a dialogue with all stakeholders to restore normalcy in Kashmir Valley and asked the government to take a series of confidence-building measures including stopping the use of pellet guns to quell the ongoing unrest there.

"There was virtual unanimity on the suggestion that a political dialogue should be started immediately with all stakeholders in the state to restore normalcy," party General Secretary Sitaram Yechury said after an all-party meeting on the prevailing situation in Kashmir.

Along with the political dialogue, the government should announce confidence-building measures like the stoppage of the use of pellet guns on protestors and withdrawal of the Armed Forces Special Powers Act (AFSPA) from civilian areas where the armed forces are not required, he said.

The army can be deployed in areas prone to infiltration, he said. Another measure to win the confidence of the Kashmiri people would be that the Union Home Ministry issues a directive to all states to take stringent action against anyone harrassing or indulging in violence against Kashmiri youths studying or working there, Yechury said.

He also wanted the Centre to pay compensation to those killed in the violence and pick up the tab for entire medical expenses of those injured, including those admitted at the AIIMS here.

Referring to External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj's statement during the meeting that Pakistan has raised the issue in UNHRC, he said, "We think the government must refer cases of human rights violations in Kashmir to the National Human Rights Commission" to counter such attempts.

"We have always maintained that Kashmir dispute is a bilateral matter between India and Pakistan and should be resolved by them. There is no question of third-party interference in it," Yechury said.