Jammu, Oct 29 (PTI) The Jammu and Kashmir unit of the BJPtoday attacked the opposition National Conference (NC) and theCongress for their support for greater autonomy to the state,saying it appeared to be a part of a "sinister design" toderail the Centre's effort to find a solution to the Kashmirimbroglio.
The state BJP was reacting to a statement of Congressleader P Chidambaram yesterday, and a resolution passed by theNC today vowing to continue its struggle for the restorationof autonomy to Jammu and Kashmir in its "original, pristineform".
"The fact is that the NC and the Congress have nothingconcrete to offer to the people of Kashmir except falsepromises and dubious political machinations to ensure that thepot continues to boil in Kashmir," BJP state spokespersonBrigadier (retd) Anil Gupta said in a statement here.
"It also appears to be a part of a sinister design toderail the sustained dialogue process initiated by the (Union)government to find a final and lasting solution to theimbroglio," Gupta said.
Chidambaram had said in poll-bound Gujarat's Rajkot thatwhen the people of Jammu and Kashmir ask for "azadi", most ofthem mean greater autonomy. Asked if he still thinks the stateshould be given greater autonomy, the former Union homeminister said: "Yes, I do."Gupta criticised the Congress leader's remarks as"opportunistic, contradictory, misleading and motivated". Hetermed the Congress the "architect of the present mess" in thestate.
"During the six decades it ruled at the Centre and fourdecades in the state, the party made no move to resolve theKashmir imbroglio created by it due to its flawed policies,"he alleged.
The BJP leader accused the Congress of making "falsepromises and loud statements" which led to the "current mess"and created a "wide rift between the Valley (people) and restof the nation," he added.
He said the restoration of the constitutional situationin Jammu and Kashmir to its pre-1953 status had been discussedin detail by former chief minister Sheikh Abdullah with formerprime minister Indira Gandhi in 1974-75.
"It is noteworthy that the agreement signed after thesenegotiations had affirmed that provisions of the Constitutionof India already applied to the state of Jammu and Kashmirwithout adaptation or modification and are unalterable.
"If this was the stand of the Congress and the NC in1975, why is it that the issue is being raised time and againby the successors of Abdullah, and the Congress is maintaininga dual policy on the issue," Gupta questioned. PTI TASABH.
This is unedited, unformatted feed from the Press Trust of India wire.