Ready for talks with Hurriyat: Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh

In an interview to a TV news channel, Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh said he was ready to hold talks with separatists in the Valley led by the All Parties Hurriyat Conference. Singh told the TV channel, “If Hurriyat is ready to come to the table for talks, we are ready for it." However, he added, there had been no such indication from them to this effect till date.

The Union Home Minister also told a newspaper in another interview that he was even prepared to hold talks with Islamabad if they were ready for it.  “To not welcome anyone who wants to talk is not the right thing,” he said.

Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti welcomed this statement of Singh, saying it would pave the way for peaceful dialogue with all stakeholders in the Valley. She said this was indeed an encouraging step given the positive outcome of ‘Ramzan ceasefire’ on the ground. Mufti also hoped that the Hurriyat would respond affirmatively to Singh’s statement and would use this opportunity to engage in a dialogue with the Centre, The Times of India reported.

The Hurriyat has not yet reacted to the Home Minister’s statement. However, its chairman Mirwaiz Umar Farooq had mentioned that the party was intent on resolving the issue of Kashmir so that bloodshed stops in the Valley and peace prevails.