Won’t talk to separatists, Indian govt tells SC

NEW DELHI: The Indian government on Friday told the supreme court it was ready to talk to recognised political parties in Jammu and Kashmir to resolve the crisis there but not with the separatists, reports foreign media.

Attorney General Mukul Rohatgi said the government would come to the negotiating table only if the recognised parties participated in dialogue and not the separatist elements. 

He made the submissions before a bench comprising Chief Justice JS Khehar and Justices D Y Chandrachud and SK Kaul. He rubbished the claim of the Jammu and Kashmir High Court Bar Association that the Centre was not coming forward for dialogue to resolve the Kashmir crisis. Rohatgi said the prime minister and the chief minister of the state recently held a meeting to discuss the situation. 

The apex court made it clear to the bar body that it would have to come with suggestions after talking to all stakeholders and could not shy away by saying that they did not represent everybody in Kashmir. It said there was a need for a positive start and the bar body could play an important role by coming out with a roadmap for restoring normalcy in the Valley. The bench also made it clear to the Centre that the court would involve itself in the matter only if there was a view that it could play a role and there was no jurisdictional issue.

  “If you feel the court has no role and if you feel we have no jurisdiction, we will close the file at this moment,” the bench told the AG who objected to some of the suggestions made by the bar body including that the separatists were being ignored.