Vajpayee responsible for J&K autonomy -- Ambedkar
PRESS TRUST OF INDIA

NAGPUR, JULY 2: RPI Bahujan Mahasangh leader Prakash Ambedkar (MP) has blamed Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee for the passage of the Autonomy Resolution Bill by the Jammu and Kashmir Assembly recently.

Addressing a press conference here, Ambedkar alleged that it was passed with the ``consent of Vajpayee''.

Terming it as a ``dangerous trend'', Ambedkar said more states would now demand autonomy.

He held the BJP responsible for the ``crisis'' and added that it was an ``intellectual corruption and treachery'' by the BJP leadership on the issue.

He said, ``If the RSS and the BJP are sincere in opposing the autonomy move of J&K Government, they should ask their MPs to resign from the Parliament''.

Talking of the Election Commission's threat on derecognition looming large over regional parties, Ambedkar was confident that his outfit, RPI Bahujan Mahasangh, would have no survival problems since it was enjoying the required legislative strength.

To a query, Ambedkar, whose party is a partner in the Democratic Front Government in Maharashtra, asserted that there was no threat to the government.

Copyright © 2000 Indian Express Newspapers (Bombay) Ltd.