Omar Abdullah-led J&K Opposition delegation calls on PM Modi; seeks ban on pellet guns, appeals for dialogue

Former Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah on Monday led a delegation of opposition parties that met Prime Minister Narendra Modi to discuss the current turmoil in the Kashmir Valley. Besides Omar, the delegation -- comprising a seven-member team of state Congress led by its PCC chief G A Mir, CPM MLA MY Tarigami, eight-member team of main opposition National Conference including its provincial chiefs Nasir Wani and Davinder Rana -- has been camping in the national capital and meeting political leaders from the government and opposition. The delegation said, "continued failure to address the unrest in Kashmir will further deepen the sense of alienation" and hoped that the Prime Minister "will take immediate measures to address this grave situation." Flagging the issue of continued protests in which many youths have fallen victim to the ongoing protest including a young teenager named Irfan who was killed on Sunday night when a teargas shell burst on his chest in downtown, the memorandum requested the Prime Minister to announce "an immediate ban on pellet guns that have caused grievous injuries in the current unrest and maimed and blinded many young boys and girls".