After violent protests raged for nearly a month over the Amarnath land transfer issue, the state Government on Wednesday initiated a high-level dialogue process with the Shri Amarnath Sangharsh Samiti (SASS), the conglomerate of more than 30 groups that is spearheading the agitation for re-allocation of forest land to the Amarnath Shrine Board in Kashmir valley, for resolving the crisis in the state. The Samiti has agreed to meet the Governor. Protests, however, continued in various parts of Jammu, even as the city bandh continued for the seventh consecutive day.

Principal Secretary, Home, Anil Goswami and Director General of Police Kuldip Khoda held talks with Samiti leaders on Wednesday morning for the resolution of the crisis. They also met BJP leaders — members of Parliament S S Ahluwalia, Davinder Singh and R P Singh, state BJP president Ashok Khajuria and Jammu Mayor Kavinder Gupta — at the party office. Both the officers urged them to to call off the agitation and hold talks but the BJP leaders said that it was for the Samiti to take a decision regarding the agitation.

Convener of the Samiti Leela Karan Sharma told the Government emmisaries that the talks with the Governor will be held only if there is some concrete blueprint for the resolution of the issue. He reiterated their main demand that land be restored to the Amarnath Shrine Board.