Peoples Conference chairman Sajad Gani Lone on Friday said leaders of J&K who participated in the all-party meeting with the Prime Minister on June 24 did their people proud and now they should ensure that Delhi delivers. Lone was among 14 leaders from Jammu and Kashmir who were invited to the meeting.
“We hope it (the June 24 meeting) starts a phase of reconciliation between Delhi and Srinagar. I can tell you that there was not a single leader from J&K who didn’t make his people proud. I am talking about parties especially from this region. They all made their people proud,” he said.
However, he said, he saw some lies in circulation with some saying only one leader spoke about the issues and others were silent. He said the fact is that all the leaders spoke well and they spoke in favor of Jammu and Kashmir. “We have to show some dignity. The perception is being given that only one leader has said everything and others were silent. All did well. As on date, there are no winners or losers. It is a long process and we have to ensure Delhi delivers. I think we should learn by now that rabble-rousing and rhetorical statements will help us address our constituency but then you see how people have been suffering for the past two years,” Lone said.
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He said political parties who participated in the meeting need to create enabling environment to facilitate the delivery mechanism.
Asked whether the government has given any sequence when the statehood is restored, he said the statehood should be restored now, not as a matter of charity but as a matter of right. He, however, said he cannot recall any timeline was given during the meeting for delimitation, elections, and restoration of the statehood. He said there was no timeline. Asked some leaders are saying they will boycott polls if the statehood is not restored before the elections, he said what if the boycott is a trap to scare other people. He said he expects delimitation will be fair across the regions and within the regions.
