Cong ask Rajnath to explain contours of Kashmir’s  ‘Permanent solution”

Rajnath-led Ministerial group meets to discuss Lokpal

New Delhi: The Congress has asked the home minister Rajnath Singh to explain contours of the ‘permanent solution’ to the Kashmir problem.

Addressing reporters here,  AICC spokesperson Manish Tewari said, ”The Home Minister has been making curious statements. He said that we will come up with a ‘permanent solution’ for Kashmir. History has been witness to the rather disastrous consequences of this ‘Permanent solution’. Would the Home Minister care to explain to the country what are the contours of the phraseology ‘permanent solution’ are ?

Blaming the incompatibility  of the PDP-BJP government  in Jammu and Kashmir for putting the state ‘on the edge’, Tewari said:  ”Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti has been giving interviews where she has been advocating that the Central government  needs to engage with Hurriyat and  Pakistan. The J&K CM goes on to say that both these engagements are a part of the Agenda of Alliance between the PDP and the BJP.

”On the other hand, the BJP has been hell bent upon playing the jingoistic national card. This ideologically incompatible alliance has driven J&K absolutely to an edge. We would like to ask them that if there is so much of an ideological dissonance, then why are they continuing in government.”

He said that it was high time that the government  at the Centre  wake up as the situation in Jammu and Kashmir was deteriorating rapidly.

In reply to a question on the controversial statement by Army Chief Bipin Rawat,  Tewari said, ”There is no doubt that the Indian Army is dealing with a tough situation. It must be borne in mind that the Indian Army has the widest experience of counter insurgency operations.

”However, one of the founding tenets of counter insurgency operations is about winning hearts and minds of the people.”

The Indian Army Chief has yesterday defended the “human shield” incident in Kashmir.

“I would have been happy if the protesters were firing weapons at the Armed forces instead of throwing stones,” he had said, speaking of the particular way, the protesters attack the armed forces personnel in the Valley.

“When people are throwing stones and petrol bombs at us, I cannot tell my men ‘just wait and die’,” army chief had said. (Agencies)