New Delhi, Mar 04: Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee today said a "new chapter" has been opened in Jammu and Kashmir and mistakes committed in the past would not be repeated in the state. "A new chapter has been opened. I can assure you that whatever mistakes committed in the past will not be repeated", he said winding up the debate on the motion-of-thanks to the President's address in Rajya Sabha.
Undeterred by militants' bullets, people exercised their franchise in Jammu and Kashmir assembly polls giving a befitting reply to "our neighbour", Vajpayee said. Referring to members' demand that the state government needed more assistance, the Prime Minister said whatever assistance promised would be provided to the state government.

He said the Centre had recently appointed N N Vohra, a former home secretary, as interlocutor to hold talks with all concerned parties on Kashmir.

Vohra, the Prime Minister said, was an experienced officer and would hold discussions with all parties to find a solution to the problem.

Bureau Report