JAMMU: Chief Minister, Omar Abdullah today said that while the Government would take all measures to restore calm in the clash-hit areas of Jammu Division, the political leadership and the civil society as a whole have an important role in bringing back normalcy and harmony in the affected areas.
Chairing the All Party meeting here, the Chief Minister expressed satisfaction over the thaw in the situation and hoped that normalcy will prevail in shortest possible time.
Highlighting the role of civil society and political leadership in such challenging times, the Chief Minister said that the Government and all political parties besides the civil society have to work together for restoring peace for the larger interest of the State and its people. He said the first target in such crisis should be to safeguard the lives and property and bring back peace in affected areas.
Omar said that Government has ordered time bound judicial inquiry into the Kishtwar incident by a retired Judge of the High Court. He said the Government has also announced immediate relief to the maximum of Rs. 2 lakh each in favour of affected house owners and shopkeepers whose houses have been gutted or damaged and shops looted in the clashes.
The meeting among others was attended by the BJP members Jugal Kishore and Ashok Khajuria, National Conference representatives S. S. Slathia and Devender Singh Rana, Congress nominees Ravinder Sharma and Janak Raj Gupta, PDP member Ved Mahajan, Peoples Democratic Front member Tej Ram Dogra, CPI(M) member Sham Prasad Kessar, Nationalist Congress Party representative Thakur Randhir Singh, Samajwadi Party member Sheikh Abdul Rehman, Shiromani Akali Dal member H. S. Raina, President Bahujan Samaj Party Tulsi Dass Langeh besides representatives of other local parties.
Deputy Chief Minister, Tara Chand, Minister for PHE, Sham Lal Sharma, Minister for Planning and Development, Ajay Sadhotra, Minister for Housing, Raman Bhalla, Ministers of State Ajaz Ahmad Khan and Dr. Manohar Lal were also present in the meeting.
The meeting unanimously passed the resolutions which read: We condemn the violence, which started in Kishtwar and then spread to various parts of Jammu division.
We appeal to the people of the state to maintain communal harmony and uphold the spirit of secularism.
The meeting appreciated the decision of the State Government of instituting a judicial enquiry into the circumstances which lead to the violence / disturbance in Kishtwar on August 9.
The All Party meeting also appealed to the Government to reconsider the decision for relief in favour of those whose shops / houses have been damaged / gutted.
It was decided that after the situation in Kishtwar and other parts of Jammu Division improves, an All Party Delegation will visit the affected areas of Kishtwar with a message of peace and communal harmony to the people.
The All Party meeting also appreciated the gesture of Sajjad Ahmed Kitchloo who submitted his resignation as Minister of State for Home voluntarily to uphold probity and transparency in politics.
However, sources said National Panthers Party boycotted the meeting. NPP president Harsh Dev Singh said that they boycotted the meeting as state government has failed on every front.
It is state government which is responsible for the clashes in Jammu region. They have no right to stay in the office, he said.
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