Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) President Amit Shah on Wednesday said the party will discuss the possibility of a dialogue between the Centre and all stakeholders to bring order to the troubled state of Jammu and Kashmir.

 Pertinently, Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti on Monday said Prime Minister Narendra Modi intended to hold talks in a “conducive atmosphere” with all stakeholders to bring order to the troubled state. She invoked former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee’s policy, saying “talks” were the only way to “move forward”.

“Mehbooba Mufti has given a statement. Now our party (the team which will decide the policy for Kashmir) will discuss the matter and come to me with their views. Then a decision will be taken,” Shah said here when asked whether BJP will initiate a dialogue with stone pelters.

Mehbooba Mufti met Modi in New Delhi on Monday to review the worsening security situation as speculations gained momentum about the possibility of Governor’s rule in the state amid allegations that the PDP-BJP coalition government has failed to control law and order in the Kashmir Valley.

 Shah during his tour to Kolkatta asserted that action is being taken against cow vigilantes and the party maintains that no one should take the law into their own hands.

“Our message is loud and clear. Everyone must adhere to law and order. No one should take law in their own hands. We have given them the message strongly and cases have also been registered and arrests have also been made,” Shah told the media when asked on incidences of cow vigilantism.

Shah denied the charge when asked whether the issue is bringing disrepute to the party.

 “Cow slaughter prohibition is in the preamble to our Constitution,” he said.

When asked whether the BJP would ban cow slaughter if it came to power in Bengal, Shah said: “We are now expanding our base. This is for the elected government to decide.”

Queried about media reports that the government was planning to introduce an Aadhaar-like unique identity system for cows, Shah said: “I have read such reports. But I don’t know the facts about this.”

Guest