Opposition lawmakers from J&K meet Rahul Gandhi

New Delhi, Aug 21 (IANS) A delegation of opposition lawmakers from Jammu and Kashmir met Congress Vice President Rahul Gandhi here on Sunday and discussed ways and means to contain the prevailing unrest in the Kashmir Valley.

The delegation was led by former Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah.

"Discussed the current political crisis in J&K with a delegation of opposition leaders from the state led by @abdullah_omar," Rahul Gandhi tweeted after the meeting.

A member of the delegation and Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M) leader Md. Yousuf Tarigami told IANS that the meeting with Rahul Gandhi was "very cordial".

"We explained our concerns... the unrest and the people's suffering is not just a law and order problem," he said.

"All parties must evolve as common political consensus and deal with this situation," he added.

"We will be meeting Prime Minister Narendra Modi at 9.30 a.m. tomorrow (Monday)," Tarigami said.

"We are meeting top leaders to tell them that the problem of Kashmir should not be seen only from the security perspective. It is not a law and order problem. It is the biggest humanitarian crisis faced by Kashmir," he added.

"The way the situation is being dealt with is proving counter-productive ... a political process of dialogue has to be initiated and the sooner it happens the better," he said.

The delegation met President Pranab Mukherjee on Saturday. It told the President that Kashmir is faced with a political problem that cannot be handled administratively.

The meeting comes as Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitley, addressing a public meeting in Samba district of Jammu on Sunday, said those advocating the cause of stone-pelters in the Kashmir Valley are playing petty politics.

"Some people outside talk of human rights in Kashmir. Have they ever visited the valley and seen those security men who have been injured while performing their duty," he asked.

The minister also accused Pakistan of having launched a proxy war against India over Kashmir.

"After getting badly defeated in three wars with India, Pakistan started a proxy war against us in the 1990s. In 2008 and 2010, they gave the new face of stone-pelting to their proxy war and that is what is happening in the valley this time also," he said.

Over 65 people have died in clashes with security forces in protests in the Kashmir Valley following the July 8 killing of Hizbul commander Burhan Wani.