The opposition was quick to claim that the government had backtracked with Congress leader P Chidambaram saying he hoped the Centre has realised that its muscular approach has failed. "Some political parties in Kashmir, particularly those in opposition, Kashmiri groups, including Hurriyat and individuals, may not be willing to engage with a leader having political affiliations. Besides, the youth in Kashmir, who are part of most violent protests, do not have an identified leader. Thereafter, it appointed former home secretary and current J&K governor N N Vohra till 2008. The UPA appointed a three-member interlocutor team comprising former information commissioner M M Ansari, senior journalist Dileep Padgaonkar and academician Radha Kumar.

Source: Times of India October 24, 2017 01:42 UTC