NC delegation meets Rajnath, seeks ban on pellet guns use

Srinagar, August 24

A six-member delegation of Opposition National Conference on Wednesday met Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh and demanded immediate ban on use of pellet guns and initiation of dialogue with all stakeholders on Kashmir.

The National Conference delegation was led by former chief minister Omar Abdullah and interacted with Singh for 45 minutes, official sources said.

They said the delegation urged the Home Minister to immediately ban use of pellet guns as a crowd control means in Kashmir.

"They also demanded that Centre initiate a dialogue with all stakeholders in Jammu and Kashmir to find a lasting solution to the problems faced by the state," a source said.

Omar had led a delegation of Opposition parties to New Delhi last week where they called on President Pranab Mukherjee, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi to apprise them about the ground situation in Kashmir.

Omar thanked Singh for promptness of the Centre in exhibiting "seriousness" about the suggestions made by the Opposition parties during their visit to Delhi.

Singh arrived here to review the security situation in the wake of clashes between protesters and security forces. — PTI