BJP opposes any idea of reversal of Kashmir’s integration in India

NEW DELHI - Expressing its reservation on the issue of autonomy to Jammu and Kashmir state, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Wednesday said that if the talk of autonomy meant reversal of Kashmir’s integration in India, it was unacceptable to the Party

Speaking in the national capital, BJP’s chief spokesperson Ravi Shankar Prasad said: “We are very clear that if the talk of autonomy means the reversal of Kashmir’s integration into India, it is wholly unacceptable to us. As of now there is already an Article 370. We have our reservations but that is there, therefore if within the ambit of Sarkaria Commission recommendations for more powerful states in certain areas, those things can be considered. But any reversal of Kashmir’s integration with India is wholly unacceptable. We are very clear about that,” said Prasad.

“I would like to tell my friends from Kashmir what are the democratic rights being exercised by those who are under POK (Pakistan occupied Kashmir), they should not forget. They have no rights whatsoever. When they talk of Jammu and Kashmir, there is also Jammu and there is also Ladakh,” Prasad added.

On Tuesday, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh said that if all the political parties formed consensus about Kashmir’s autonomy, the central government was ready to consider the issue.

Meanwhile, Venkaiah Naidu, another BJP lawmaker also said that the government should not compromise with the sovereignty of the country, as Kashmir is an integral part of India.

Kashmir has been witnessing shut downs for the last two months, and protestors have defied curfews to attack police with stones and set police stations on fire. (ANI)