New Delhi: Congress today slammed BJP for targeting its senior leader P Chidambaram over his remarks on autonomy for Kashmir. Congress Spokesperson- Secretary Salman Nizami said “BJP says Congress leader P Chidambaram talking about J&K autonomy is treason. They forgot Former Prime Minister Shri Atal Bihar Vajpayee said the same in past.
Nizami said, Vajpayee Ji on last day of his visit to Kashmir, had offered the J&K state a huge economic package and expressed the central government’s willingness to consider the demand of “autonomy” for J&K. Only last year his govt had vehemently rejected a resolution by the legislative assembly of Kashmir for autonomy, Is this Vajpayee policy which BJP/PDP want to adopt?. Earlier BJP govts were ready to consider the issue in its broadest implications, but today BJP has been all along bent to remove even the last vestiges of autonomy still enjoyed by Kashmir.
Nizami said RSS/BJP’s objection to autonomy statement reflects their ignorance of India’s past initiative in Kashmir. BJP has lost its mind as it’s losing Gujarat. Nizami said “Kashmir violence is nothing but testimonial of BJP’s total policy myopia. We gave them peaceful Kashmir. But, they are ruining it. On govt’s announcement of an interlocutor to engage with stakeholders in J&K Nizami said, this is a “victory” for those who had sought a political solution in the Valley. From “No talks” to “Talks with all stakeholders” is a victory for those who had strongly argued for a political solution in J&K. To control the situation instead of using gun, pellets & killing hundreds of innocent civilians the govt should have opted for talks (much earlier), Nizami added.
We are not opposing the decision of the govt. But at the fag end of their tenure, they have done this. This is only to divert public attention. This govt has no Kashmir policy.