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Vajpayee-Farooq meeting breaks ice on autonomy issue

The much-awaited meeting between Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee and Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Farooq Abdullah here Monday evening broke the ice on the issue of autonomy with the latter exuding confidence about finding a reasonable solution to the complex problem.

The chief minister, after emerging from a 40-minute meeting with the prime minister at the latter's 7, Race Couse residence, told newsmen, ''We have broken the ice and we will work together to strengthen the country's unity and integrity.''

The one-on-one meeting went off smoothly during which the two leaders held intense discussions on the autonomy issue and security situation in the troubled state with Dr Abdullah assuring his party's continuation in the National Democratic Alliance.

Dr Abdullah who arrived here this evening in a special aircraft from Srinagar alongwith his four senior cabinet colleagues, apprised the prime minister of his party's stand on the autonomy issue that generated a lot of heat in the country.

He told the prime minister that his views on the issue would be placed before the National Conference working committee for discussions.

He said he was a part of the NDA and would continue to be.

This is the first meeting that Dr Abdullah had with the prime minister after the Union Cabinet rejected the autonomy resolution passed by the Jammu and Kashmir assembly on June 28.

The rejection temporarily resulted in strained relations between the Centre and the state government with the NC threatening to quit the NDA.

However, the demise of Begum Akbar Jehan, patron of National Conference and Dr Abdullah's mother provided an opportunity for both the leaders to break the deadlock when the prime minister invited Dr Abdullah for talks on the issue on July 15.

However, the talks could not be held on July 15 as Dr Abdullah was pre-occupied with ceremonies relating to his mother's death.

UNI

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