Aware that the situation could dangerously spin out of control, the parties, at a meeting called by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, also called for an immediate dialogue with the protesters in Jammu that would help “suspend” the agitation.

Sources said the dialogue process could start as early as tomorrow or the day after. Governor N N Vohra is understood to have been asked to form a committee of about 4-5 members to talk to the Amarnath Sangharsh Samiti that has been spearheading the protests. An all-party delegation is also scheduled to visit Jammu in the next couple of days, most probably tomorrow, and a special aircraft is being readied for the purpose, sources said.

“The Government agreed that all required and necessary facilities for the Amarnath pilgrims would be provided...The all-party meeting suggested immediately initiating the process of dialogue that would facilitate the suspension of the agitation and its peaceful resolutions.”

Crucially, the resolution adopted at the four-hour meeting had the full backing of the Opposition BJP, which has been supporting the agitation in Jammu against the decision of the state government to revoke its earlier order allotting 40 hectares to the Shri Amarnath Shrine Board for creating temporary shelters for pilgrims.

As reported by The Indian Express on Wednesday, Manmohan Singh had spoken to BJP president Rajnath Singh on Monday and sought his party’s help in finding a solution to the issue. The BJP later claimed that their main demand had been met with the government agreeing to start negotiations directly with the agitators. However, its other demand, asking for Vohra’s recall was rejected.

The meeting started with an opening remark by the Prime Minister who urged all parties to make efforts to ensure that the “extremely sensitive” situation was not aggravated any further.

The meeting was not completely colourless though. The BJP came under heavy attack from, mainly from the National Conference and the PDP, which accused the party of escalating the situation in Jammu. NC and PDP, the two main political parties in the state, also traded charges with each other.

A change of Governor, as demanded by the BJP and some Congress leaders as well, was ruled out by the government. As External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee told reporters later there was no question of recalling Governor N N Vohra who had been appointed just two weeks back.

The government also sought to make it clear that no transfer of land to the Shrine Board had taken place in the first place. As a result, the argument that the state government had taken back the land allotted to the Board did not arise.

“Neither physical possession of any land was given nor any transfer of land ever took place,” Mukherjee told reporters. “There must be some communication gap which led to this agitation”. The government has been arguing that all that the May 25 order of the state government had done was to change the land use pattern of the 40 hectares in question, to facilitate the construction of temporary facilities for Amarnath pilgrims.

The government also emphasized that the facilities for Amarnath pilgrims will not be compromised on. “These facilities are being provided to the pilgrims for the last 60 years and will continue to be provided by the government,” Home Minister Shivraj Patil said.

Convoy targeted, Army men fire on protestors, one killed

• Protestors target Army convoy near Kathua, one person killed as Armymen fire

• Tehsildar office at Nagrota set ablaze by protestors

• Amarnath shrine board members resign to help reconstitute board

• Curfew violated by protestors at several places in Jammu region

• Sangarsh Samiti sticks to demand for transfer of land to shrine board