Even though senior Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Yashwant Sinha led two teams of “concerned citizens” to Kashmir twice last year to seek a solution to the present unrest, he has been denied a meeting with the Prime Minister Narendra Modi to discuss the crisis in Kashmir.

“I have asked for a meeting but there has been no response,” he said.
Sinha said that they were “still waiting for a response” from the government on their reports on Kashmir situation.

“They need not respond to us, but they should respond to the situation. We would say they have responded to the situation, if they abide by the promises they themselves have made in the agenda of alliance between the PDP and the BJP, which is now 25 months old,” he said.

“I left a request for a meeting [with the PM], but unfortunately there has been no response.”
Calling for an appointment of an interlocutor on Kashmir, Sinha said: “When we went to Srinagar, we met a large number of people, including Hurriyat leaders, and we found that there were still takers for this approach… And, if they want to begin the dialogue process, the best thing for the government would be to appoint an interlocutor with full authority to go there and talk on its behalf.”

He said that the government needs to immediately start a dialogue process with people in Kashmir. “…So, we will begin talks with them and then at some later stage, we can see how the third party, Pakistan, can be involved. I am not for the time being suggesting that we would be simultaneously talking to Pakistan. That can wait…”

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