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Bhat to join Hurriyat delegation: Ansari

Onkar Singh in New Delhi | January 14, 2004 11:24 IST

Maulvi Abbas Ansari, chairman, All Parties Hurriyat Conference, has blamed the media for trying to create a rift between the amalgam's leadership.

The media had indicated that Abdul Gani Bhat, former chairman of the Hurriyat, had declined to be part of the delegation that will travel to Delhi for talks with Deputy Prime Minister Lal Kishenchand Advani.

"Nothing can be farther from truth," Ansari told rediff.com on Wednesday. "There are some elements... that do not want talks between the Centre and Hurriyat Conference to be held. And such people are busy planting stories in newspapers that Abdul Gani Bhat has declined to be part of the delegation."

The composition of the delegation will be decided at a joint meeting of the Hurriyat executive, general council and national executive in Srinagar on Thursday.

"We will start our deliberation around 11 am and we hope to clinch the issue by 4 in the evening," he said.

He invited Yasin Malik, chairman, Jammu and Kashmir Liberation Front, to join the delegation.

"We wanted [Democratic Freedom Party chief] Shabir Shah also to join us and [the religious head of Kashmiri Muslims] Mirwaiz Umer Farooq had even held discussions with him. But Shah Saheb has decided against joining hands with us. Though he has welcomed the initiation of talks," Ansari said.

Ansari also reminded that there were no strings attached to the invitation.

"Earlier, Advani used to insist that the talks should be held within the framework of the Indian Constitution. We rejected that condition. Now there is no condition."

He added that the Hurriyat did not want to do anything that would hamper the talks.

"We will go to Delhi and Insha Allah things will fall in the right place..." he said.


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