Left pushes for dialogue with all stakeholders in Kashmir

NEW DELHI: Left Parties today said the government was non-committal on their demands for a dialogue with all stakeholders in Kashmir and stopping the use of pellet guns articulated at all-party meeting convened by Prime Minister Narendra Modi here to discuss the valley situation.

"The government neither accepted not rejected our demands," CPI(M) General Secretary Sitaram Yechury told reporters after the nearly four-hour meeting.

At the meeting, Yechury and CPI's National Secretary D Raja pressed for a dialogue with all stakeholders in Kashmir and stopping the use of pellet guns which have been the cause of most injuries during the 35-day-old unrest.

Raja saaid the Left parties reiterated their demand that the use of pellet guns by security forces be stopped, but government did not commit anything in this regard.

"On banning the use of pellet guns, the government has not committed anything," he said.

"On AFSPA, of course, on behalf of the government it has been said that at this point of time, lowering the security level will not be the right thing to do," Raja added.