Early Times Report
JAMMU, Sept 3: In the Jammu wing of J&K PCC, there are no takers of state Congress president G A Mir's statement that PDP president Mehbooba Mufti has toed the RSS line by stating that "it isn't necessary to include separatists in all dialogues between India and Pakistan".
"From her this statement, it is clear that she has toed the RSS line," Mir told media on Wednesday, asserting that PDP, which used to harp on self-rule formula, battle of ideas and Indo-Pak talks, had now started showing its colour and Mehbooba was speaking the language of RSS and BJP.
The JKPCC president, however, does not find any taker of his statement in the Jammu wing of his party.
Early Times spoke to some veteran Congress leaders and former ministers to seek their views on the Mir's utterances. While all of them welcomed Mehbooba's statement and said Hurriyat, a collection of anti-nationals and some disgruntled elements, had no role to play in the Indo-Pak talks, none of them was ready to be quoted.
One of them said, "I welcome Mehbooba's statement. Our stand is that any dispute between India and Pakistan is to be solved bilaterally. Hurriyat is no party to any dialogue. Being Indian citizens, they, however, have every right to take up their grievances with New Delhi."
Another Congress leader said it would not be good for him to contradict the statement of his party president but one thing is clear that "we are not party to it". "Nothing is above the national interest. Before making such statements, Mir must not forget our country's stand on the Kashmir issue and the pro-Pak separatists. I am not scared of publically contradicting the Mir's statement but I will do it at some appropriate time and platform," he asserted.
"J&K's merger with India is unquestionable. Since separatists toe the pro-Pakistan line and hold the view that Kashmir is a disputed territory, their view point holds no value for us," a senior Congress leader and ex-minister said.
NC too has criticised PDP, saying "the PDP that garnered votes on the promise of facilitating talks between separatists and New Delhi has ended up putting Hurriyat leaders under house arrest to prevent them from going to Delhi to participate in the pre-talks consultations".
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