New Delhi holds regular talks with Mirwaiz: Home Ministry

New Delhi: The Union Home Ministry on Wednesday has said that the central government was holding regular talks with Mirwaiz led Hurriyat Conference of Jammu and Kashmir. It also informed that Mirwaiz held meeting with former intelligence officers in the month of November 2013.

While responding to a question of MP, GN Ratanpuri, RPN Singh, Minister, of State in the ministry of Home affairs said in the Parliament that the union government has been holding regular talks with separatists.

“Talks have been held regularly with the separatists in Jammu and Kashmir,” RPN Singh said.

He added that some separatist leaders, including Mirwaiz Umar Farooq, held a meeting with former intelligence officers in the month of November 2013. “Chairman APHC (A) had held a meeting with former intelligence officers in the month of November 2013, Singh said.

However he added, “The government is not aware of the deliberations of the meeting.”

Explaining a part of the question the Union Home Ministry said that it has no reports that any separatist leader is intending to participate in the coming Lok Sabha and the Assembly elections.

“The government has no report to suggest that some separatist leaders are inclined to participate in the coming Lok Sabha and Assembly elections,” Singh said.

GN Ratanpuri had asked the central government whether it intends to initiate talks with separatists in Jammu and Kashmir and whether the meetings between Hurriyat leaders and some eminent personalities including a former intelligence officer in Delhi during November 2013 were prelude to direct talks between central government and the separatists.