Mehbooba Mufti, BJP leaders leave J-K for all-party meeting in national capital

Srinagar: Political leaders from Jammu and Kashmir including Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) chief Mehbooba Mufti and BJP leaders Ravinder Raina and Kavinder Gupta left for New Delhi to take part in the all-party meeting convened by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

PDP is part of Gupkar Alliance, which held a meeting of Tuesday and decided to take part in the meeting.

The Centre's meeting with leaders of Jammu and Kashmir on Thursday will be the first political engagement since August 5, 2019, when the Centre revoked the special status of Jammu and Kashmir and the state was bifurcated into two union territories.

Former Jammu and Kashmir chief ministers Farooq Abdullah, Omar Abdullah and Ghulam Nabi Azad apart from Mehbooba Mufti are among those invited for the meeting.

Home Minister Amit Shah, National Security Advisor Ajit Doval, Jammu and Kashmir Lt Governor Manoj Sinha and Home Secretary would also attend the meeting.

It is learnt from reliable sources that no fixed agenda has been set for the meeting and a freewheeling discussion is expected on June 24. However, delimitation, statehood and assembly elections are expected to remain key issues to be discussed at the all-party meeting.