A senior National Conference leader today claimed that the Centre's "quiet dialogue" in Kashmir had failed and appealed to all political parties in the state to ask the central government to take a fresh initiative for talks with separatists to resolve the vexed issue.
"I appeal to all political parties to join hands and in one voice ask the Centre to initiate talks with separatists willing to talk to address the Kashmir issue," Mehboob Beg, who is also a member of Lok Sabha, told reporters here.
"Quiet dialogue initiated to resolve the Kashmir issue died a quiet death," Beg said.
He declined to answer questions as to who is responsible for the 'quiet death' of the dialogue announced by the Union home minister P Chidambaram last year during his visit to the valley.
However, Beg warned "If steps are not taken to address the Kashmir issue, alienation of people will increase".
He complimented chairman of moderate faction of Hurriyat Conference Mirwaiz Umer Farooq for "taking the risk" and entering into dialogue with the Centre.
"Mirwaiz took a daring step...a risk and entered into dialogue with the Centre. However, he is a frustrated man as the dialogue process has not progressed," Beg said.
Mirwaiz recently asserted that there was no 'quiet dialogue' going on between the Hurriyat and Union home ministry and even the back channels had fallen silent for the past two months.
Kashmir issue cannot be put on a back-burner. A mechanism to constitutionalise the dialogue process has to be worked out. In our endeavour we are ready for talks provided India show seriousness for resolution of the problem, Mirwaiz had told reporters on March 27.
Brushing aside BJP's opposition to the greater autonomy to J&K, Beg said "greater autonomy to the state is a demand within the framework of the constitution".
"Autonomy is within the framework of the constitution. It is not anything outside the constitution," he said.
BJP president Nitin Gadkari, last month, had said that Kashmir would remain an integral part of India and if any decision is taken against the unity and integrity of the country the party will oppose it on the streets.
