Former prime minister Manmohan Singh speaks at a book release function in New Delhi on Saturday. PTI Photo by Kamal Kishore Former prime minister Manmohan Singh speaks at a book release function in New Delhi on Saturday. PTI Photo by Kamal Kishore

To meet cross section of people to ascertain their views on various issues confronting the state, a five-member Congress’ policy and planning group headed by former Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh arrived here on two-day visit of Jammu region. While Dr Singh landed here in Air India flight, other members reached here by Spice Jet Airlines. The others included Leader of the Opposition in Rajya Sabha, besides senior Congress leaders and former ministers P Chidambram, Ambika Soni and Dr Karan Singh.

The group will begin with interacting with senior Party leaders at Congress executive committee meeting. Later, they will also meet leaders of mainstream opposition parties, besides different delegations of civil society from different sections and walks of life.

Those scheduled to meet them include delegations of the Bar Assocaition, Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Pahari speaking people, Dogri Sanstha, ex-servicemen, leaders of scheduled castes, scheduled tribes and other backward classes, apart from minority communities, displaced persons from West Pakistan and Paksitan occupied Kashmir among others.

The delegation will return to Delhi on Monday morning and visit Kashmir next week, sources said.

The visit of senior Congress leaders assumes significance as it has come amidst raging controversy over Article 35A, continued unrest in some parts of Kashmir, growing voices in Jammu region against the stay of Rohingya Muslims, apart from increased incidents of cross border firing and infiltration along the Line of Control among other things.

Moreover, it has come a day after Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh arrived Srinagar on four day of the state to meet stakeholders for discussing issues concerning Jammu Kashmir. On Tuesday, he is visiting Nowshera to meeting people who have migrated from their native places in the wake of unprovoked Pakistani shelling along the Line of Control.

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