NEWS

SASS-Central team talks fail : Agitation on

By P Krishnakumar in Jammu
August 09, 2008

The talks between the Central team and the Shri Amarnath Sangarsh Samiti (SASS) failed on Saturday.

"The team did not come up with a concrete proposal. They kept repeating what happened in the meeting in New Delhi. We reiterated our demands. The meeting was inconclusive," Samiti convenor Leela Karan Sharma said.

He said the agitation would continue.

Earlier, People's Democratic Party chief Mehbooba Mufti, who was leaving the venue before the meet, said any solution that was not acceptable to the people of  Jammu and Kashmir cannot be arrived at.

In response, Sharma said, "The same is with us. We won't agree to any solution that is acceptable to the people of the state."

Leaders from the Kashmir Valley, including National Conference leader Farooq Abdullah, People's Democratic Party chief Mehbooba Mufti and Saifuddin Soz, were kept out of the meet as demanded by the Samiti.

Earlier:

At 7 pm on Friday, the Samiti got a list of of political leaders who were part of the team.

Seeing the names of the three Valley leaders in the team, the Samiti said that it would not participate in the talks as the Valley leaders were the cause of the current situation in J&K.

The impasse lasted till 3 pm on Saturday.

The Central team finally agreed to leave the three Valley leaders after back-channel negotiations. A five-member state BJP team will meet the Central team after the meeting with the Samiti.

P Krishnakumar in Jammu

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