Cong to oppose J&K autonomy resolution in Parliament

Cong to oppose J&K autonomy resolution in Parliament
PRESS TRUST OF INDIA

JAIPUR, JULY 2: The Congress will oppose any resolution on autonomy to Jammu and Kashmir to be placed in Parliament during its monsoon session, party leader Natwar Singh has said.

There was no question of autonomy to Jammu and Kashmir as late Indira Gandhi and Sheikh Abdullah had signed a Kashmir accord some 25 years ago, Singh, who is a Congress Working Committee member, said here on Sunday. It was a question of good governance in the state and Chief Minister Farooq Abdullah could not do so, Singh alleged.

Meanwhile, Punjab Chief Minister Prakash Singh Badal has said his party, Shiromani Akali Dal was for devolution of more powers to states within the limits of a true federal system.

Talking to newsmen in Coimbatore, Badal said the time had come to give more powers to the states as the financial conditions of the states were very bad.

``We are for one country. Nobody wants to separate from India,'' Badal said, while replying to a question on the autonomy resolution in Jammu and Kashmir assembly. He said Akali Dal and DMK were the only parties, which raised voice for true federalism way back in 1962 as it was the only way for progress and prosperity. But, we were branded as separatists, he said.

``We are for more powers under true federal structure. The state government has to serve the people directly. The development of the people is mainly dependent on the financial resources in the states,'' he pointed out.

Blaming the Congress for the poor conditions of the states the chief minister said during its rule all the powers were vested with the Centre, as the `nominated' chief ministers could not raise voice against its high command.

Chief Minister Farooq Abdullah has said the accession of Jammu and Kashmir to India `is final and irrevocable'.

Addressing a press conference in Coimbatore, he said ``We do not want to secede from India and we are not trying for any confrontation on the autonomy issue with the Centre.''

The state assembly had put a document on true federal structure before the Centre and the people. The issue could be discussed and debated and taken to people and other parties and states of the country to evolve a consensus, he said.

``Either you convince us or we will convince you. The time has come to return powers to the people and the states which were eroded in the last 50 years,'' he said.

``The states must have powers. If the states are weak, the Centre would also be weak,'' he said adding that the Centre would have to adjust to the new thinking on a true federal system and structure.

When asked about the opposition by BJP to the demand for autonomy, Abdullah said ``they have never been in favour of it. They want to abrogate Article 370''.

Meanwhile, Hurriyat Conference leader Mohammad Yaseen Malik has said that autonomy was not what his organisation wanted and accused the Centre of adopting "different yardsticks" in regard to talks with separatists in Nagaland and Kashmir.

Terming the autonomy resolution in J&K Assembly as of `no consequences', Malik, who is also the chairman of the Jammu and Kashmir Liberation Front (JKLF), said the Union government should strive towards a permanent solution of the Kashmir issue.

"While peace talks with separatist Naga leaders are being held without any conditions in neutral countries," Union Home Minister L K Advani is putting "pre-conditions" for talks with Hurriyat leadership, he said.

"Prime ministers have gone abroad to meet NSCN (I-M) leaders in third countries (without pre-conditions), while Advani is asking us to hold talks within the framework of Indian Constitution," the Hurriyat leader said.

While emphasising that Hurriyat Conference was for talks, Malik said no pre-conditions should be attached to these. "Everyone must come to the table with his own agenda," he said. Stating that all parties concerned with the Kashmir issue India, Pakistan and people of Kashmir should be at the table for talks, Malik said a "conducive atmosphere" should be created for a dialogue.

He accused the BJP leadership of `back-tracking' on Kashmir by "falling prey to electoral and political compulsions".