PM meets Tarigami; Discuss current political situation

New Delhi, Mar 12 (UNI) Prime Minister Manmohan Singh today met Jammu and Kashmir CPI (M) legislature party leader Mohammad Yusuf Tarigami and discussed current political situation in state, amid reports of a growing rift between state coalition partners -- the Congress and People's Democratic Party (PDP).

Sources told UNI that Dr Singh and Mr Tarigami, head of the PDF legislature party a group of independent MLA's supporting the coalition, held detailed discussions to sort out the irritants in the ties between the allies.

The meeting, held at the Prime Minister's Parliament office, took place against the backdrop of reports that the Congress-PDP alliance is on the verge of a breakdown over the PDP's demand for troop reduction in the state.

Mr Tarigami also met External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee yesterday.

The PDP had also boycotted last two cabinet meetings over the issue.

PDP leader and former Chief Minister Mufti Mohammed Sayeed had recently written to Dr Singh, asking that his party's demand for demilitarisation be considered.

After the 2002 assembly elections, the Congress and the PDP reached a post-poll alliance to form a coalition government, with the latter having a Chief Minister for the first three years of the government's term and the Congress subsequently heading the alliance.

On Saturday night, Dr Singh met Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad and PDP president Mehbooba Mufti to reportedly sort out differences between the coalition partners and discuss the issue of troop reduction in the insurgency-racked state. Defence Minister A K Antony was also present at the more than three-hour long meeting which was followed by a high-level Congress meeting on Saturday night which was attended by Congress President Sonia Gandhi, Dr Singh, Mr Azad and Mr Mukherjee.

UNI