Anantnag (Jammu and Kashmir) Oct 28 (IANS) Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah said here Wednesday that he felt the situation in his state was improving as both Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and Congress president Sonia Gandhi did not use a bullet-proof screen while addressing the people.
“Today I felt for the first time that things have changed here since the prime minister and the UPA (United Progressive Alliance) chairperson would not be addressing people from behind a bullet-proof screen,” he said.

Abdullah stressed on finding a permanent solution to the Kashmir problem.

“The basic problem of Jammu and Kashmir is not merely an economic one, but is linked to our politics,” he said.

“If we want to rid the state of the menace of the gun, we must find a permanent solution to political problem here,” Abdullah said here while welcoming Manmohan Singh and Sonia Gandhi, who are on a two-day visit to the Valley.

The prime minister Wednesday flagged off a new train service on the 18-km track linking south Kashmir with Srinagar and other places in the north of the valley. With this, the 129-km railway line in the Kashmir Valley is complete.

Abdullah thanked the prime minister and Home Minister P. Chidambaram for announcing a political dialogue between the state and the central government.

“My government will try everything possible to help the dialogue process so that tears from the eyes of the people are wiped out,” the chief minister said.