NEW DELHI, Aug 24: The Communist Party of India (Marxist) blamed Prime Minister Manmohan Singh’s government for the stalled dialogue between New Delhi and Kashmir’s APHC and said it would strongly raise the issue with the ruling coalition.

“The Central government has not taken any concrete initiative to start the dialogue process with the separatist groups. The reasons are best known to it,” CPI(M) General Secretary Prakash Karat told a news conference in Srinagar. Mr Karat also advocated an early reduction of troops in the region.

Prime Minister Singh is due to meet both President Gen Pervez Musharraf and US President George W. Bush in New York next month. He is believed to be pondering a meeting with APHC leaders before that.

Asked if the Indian government should invite militant groups for talks, Mr Karat said the dialogue needs to be held with all shades of opinion which will go a long way in resolving the Kashmir issue.