(Eds: Repeating after changing a word in para 25)Bengaluru, Oct 29 (PTI) Prime Minister Narendra Moditoday launched a scathing attack on the Congress, accusing itof "shamelessly" taking a U-turn on Kashmir, lending its voicefor "Kashmir's azadi" and using a language spoken by Pakistan.
Modi's sharp comments came a day after senior Congressleader P Chidambaram pitched for greater autonomy for Jammuand Kashmir yet again.
He told BJP workers here that his government would notcompromise with the country's unity and integrity.
"All of a sudden, those who were in power till yesterdayhave taken a U-turn. Shamelessly, they are making a statementand are lending their voice for Kashmir's azadi," Modi said.
Without taking Chidambaram's name, the prime ministersaid, "I'm surprised that those who were in power at theCentre, those who were responsible for the country's internalsecurity and national security (are saying this)."Modi said the country had no hope or expectations fromthe Congress.
Noting that Sardar Patel took important decisions for thecountry's unity, he said thousands of jawans had sacrificedtheir lives for Kashmir.
"The country's soldiers have sacrificed their lives everymoment for the sake of the security of the motherland andinnocent citizens of Kashmir.
"I want to ask the people of Bengaluru, can the countrybenefit from such people who are playing politics on thesacrifice of our soldiers? They don't have any shame insaying this. The Congress party will have to give an answerfor this (Chidambaram's) statement...," he said.
Modi said, "Those bravehearts who have sacrificed theirlives, mothers who have lost their sons for the country...thatmother is asking the question, that sister who has lost herbrother is asking the question and the child who has lost hisfather is asking the question."But, he said, the Congress was "shamelessly using suchlanguage that is used by the separatists on Kashmir's land.
(They are) using the language that is spoken by Pakistan."Stressing that this was the land of Sardar Patel, hesaid, "We will not compromise with the country's unity andintegrity and we will not allow it to happen."Chidambaram had told reporters in Rajkot in poll-boundGujarat yesterday, "The demand in the Kashmir Valley is torespect the letter and spirit of Article 370, that means theywant greater autonomy. My interactions in J&K led me to theconclusion that when they ask for azadi, mostly, I am notsaying all...the overwhelming majority, they want autonomy.""Yes, I do," Chidambaram said when he was asked if hestill thought that Jammu and Kashmir should be given greaterautonomy.
Chidambaram had, in July 2016, advocated greater autonomyfor J&K, saying India should restore the "grand bargain" underwhich Kashmir had acceded by granting a large degree ofautonomy to it.
He had warned that otherwise the country would have topay a "heavy price".
The Congress, however, has sought to distance itself fromthe remarks of Chidambaram on Kashmir, saying "the opinion ofan individual is not necessarily the opinion of the party".
Congress chief spokesperson Randeep Singh Surjewala hadsaid Jammu and Kashmir was an integral part of India and "willalways remain so unquestionably".
At the BJP workers' meet here, Modi also said when Indiacarried out the surgical strikes across the Line of Control(LoC) in September last year, "our soldiers hit back at ourenemy. It was a moment of great pride for the whole nation,but the Congress party could not digest that also".
The prime minister said, "Now I can understand after thestatement of the Congress leader (Chidambaram), what was theirreason for their anger towards the surgical strikes."He said, "The heroism of our brave soldiers, India'sdiplomatic strength, India's courage, its restraint, the wholeworld saw it at Dokalam (during the standoff with China).
"However strong China may be, in the test of restraint,India has lived up. Today it is India's ability which theworld is looking at with respect...The Congress people areevery day spreading false information in the name of Dokalam."Hitting out at the Congress, he said, "Those who remainedin power for so many years, on those people the country hadtrust in, and (they) have turned out to be such? They are ofsuch thinking."Modi said there was a feeling that after electoraldefeats, "some sensible people" in the Congress would try tobring the party on the right path. "But one or the other I'mseeing and hearing their statements and actions that areirresponsible...It looks like the Congress has decided not toimprove," he said.
"People learn from defeats, they understand, they rectifytheir mistakes, but their arrogance is on cloud nine...Theyhave lost track of the people's expectations. That is thereason they are using such language."Reacting sharply to Chidambaram's remarks, the BJP hadyesterday said it was not surprising to see Chidambaram makesuch comments, given his leader supported those who gave theslogan of "Bharat tere tukde honge", an apparent reference toRahul Gandhi backing those who protested the arrest of studentleader Kanhaiya Kumar during the JNU row. PTI GMS KSU RA VS SCRC.
This is unedited, unformatted feed from the Press Trust of India wire.