J&K parties will meet Prez, PM, political leaders on J&K tension: Farooq Abdullah  

Regional parties in Jammu and Kashmir on Sunday unanimously resolved to fight any attempt to abrogate the constitutional provisions that guarantee it special status or any move to trifurcate the state.

National Conference president Farooq Abdullah, reading out a resolution adopted at the meeting, said the parties have decided to send delegations to meet President Ram Nath Kovind, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and leaders of political parties to apprise them about the consequences of any attempt to abrogate Article 370 and Article 35A of the Constitution, or carry out delimitation of constituencies or trifurcating the state.

The meeting was also attended Mehbooba Mufti (PDP), Omar Abdullah (NC), Taj Mohiuddin (Congress), Muzaffar Beig (PDP), Sajad Lone and Imran Ansari (Peoples Conference), Shah Faesal (J&K Peoples Movement) and M Y Tarigami (CPI-M).

The parties appealed to India and Pakistan not to take any steps that will escalate tension in the region, Abdullah said. He also appealed to the people of the state to maintain peace.

The meeting, which was scheduled to be held at residence of PDP president Mufti, was held at Farooq Abdullah's residence due to his ill health.

Kashmir remained on edge on Sunday as authorities stepped up security deployment at vital installations and sensitive areas amid heightened terror threat and flare up of hostilities with Pakistan along the Line of Control (LoC).

Meanwhile the Union Cabinet is scheduled to meet on Monday morning at Prime Minister Narendra Modi's official residence.

Normally, the Cabinet meets oN Wednesdays, and during the Parliament session the meet takes place in the evening after the major proceedings in both Houses are over.

The unscheduled meeting has raised speculations that the government may announce a major decision in Parliament regarding Jammu and Kashmir where a massive troops deployment has been done.

The Opposition has asked the government to not indulge in any “misadventure” in the Valley and preserve the constitutional guarantees given to the state.

Former Home Minister P. Chidambaram on Saturday said: “I don’t want to guess what is on the mind of the government but it’s clear they are preparing for some misadventure."

Chidambaram warned the Centre against any such move, and demanded a statement from Prime Minister Modi in Parliament.

Notably, Home Minister Amit Shah has told Parliament during a debate on extending the President’s Rule in J&K that Article 370 was a "temporary provision" of the Constitution.

As valley is caught in the throes of chaos, the students at various educational institutes were asked to vacate their hostels.

The students of Islamic University of Science and Technology were asked to immediately vacate the hostel while the university authorities postponed all the exams slated for Monday.

A student told NH that they had been suddenly asked to leave the campus by the university authorities.

"University also arranged the transport facilities for our departure,” she said.

A university official said that all the semester exams which were scheduled from August 5 have been postponed.

On Saturday, nearly 1,200 students at National Institute of Technology, Srinagar left the campus following the directions from the university management. Similarly, the hostellers of Government Polytechnic College, Srinagar were also asked to vacate the campus by the management.

After the Jammu and Kashmir administration curtailed the Amarnath Yatra and asked pilgrims and tourists to leave the valley at the earliest on Friday, anxious residents continued to throng markets on Sunday to stock on essentials and serpentine queues have been visible outside shops and fuel stations.