How will an interlocutor trace stakeholders, questions Congress

The Congress party on 24 October questioned the appointment of former Intelligence Bureau chief Dineshwar Sharma as an interlocutor for Kashmir.

Leader of Opposition in Rajya Sabha, Ghulam Nabi Azad questioned Centre's move and asked how Sharma will carry forward a dialogue with all sections of the people in Jammu and Kashmir.

"How is an interlocutor going to trace the stakeholders? Government should have said that clear yesterday. Home Minister should have said yesterday who are stakeholders," he said.

The Centre yesterday announced plans to start a dialogue process in Jammu and Kashmir and appointed Sharma as its representative for talks with "all" stakeholders in the state.

"The government has decided to start a sustained dialogue in Jammu and Kashmir. Former IB director Dineshwar Sharma will be Government of India's representative. Rank of Dineshwar Sharma will be equivalent to that of a Cabinet Secretary," Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh had told the media.

He added that Sharma would initiate the dialogue with elected representatives of Jammu and Kashmir, political parties, different organisations and public.

-ANI