Jammu: Lambasting former Union Minister P Chidambaram for his “grand bargain” comment to resolve Kashmir issue, the Jammu and Kashmir unit of BJP today said that such a formula was dangerous for the integrity of the country and reiterated abrogation of Article 370 was the only step to bring the Kashmiri people into the national mainstream.

“The statement of former Union Home minister where he advocated for restoring grand bargain under which Kashmir acceded to India by granting a large degree of autonomy, shows that he lacks knowledge of the state as such a formula is dangerous for the integrity of the country with will have serious repercussions,” BJP state spokesman Virender Gupta said in a statement here today.

“The ultimate solutions lie in the abrogation of article 370, taking steps to bring the people of Kashmir Valley in the national mainstream,” he said.

Gupta said that it seems that former Home minister has little knowledge about Jammu and Kashmir and the circumstance under which Jammu and Kashmir acceded to Indian Union.

“It was Maharaja of Jammu and Kashmir who signed the Instrument of Accession, of course, that was endorsed by Sheikh Mohammad Abdullah who was a popular leader only of Kashmir Valley but had no following in Jammu and Ladakh regions.

“No condition was attached at the time of accession by Sheikh Mohammad Abdullah,” Gupta said.

Chidambaram’s Kashmir proposal compromises nat’l security: BJP

New Delhi: BJP today hit out at former Home Minister P Chidambaram over his radical proposal on the Kashmir issue, saying it compromises the national security and asserted that the Modi government will secure the unity and integrity of the country without any compromise.

Senior party leader and Information and Broadcasting Minister M Venkaiah Naidu said wisdom had dawned on the senior Congress leader after his party lost power and asked what the governments of “Nehru ji to Sonia ji” did all these years.

“This is nothing but cheap politics. This compromises national security of India,” he told a press conference and termed Chidambaram’s comments objectionable, saying it was least expected from a former home minister.

Chidambaram had yesterday advocated restoring the “grand bargain” under which Kashmir had acceded to India by granting a large degree of autonomy, warning that otherwise the country will have to pay a “heavy price”. He also suggested relaxing AFSPA.

“After losing power, he is giving sermons. Our party and government are committed to the unity and security of the country. Its unity and integrity is paramount and not the life of a terrorist. We will secure it without any compromise whatsoever,” Naidu said.

Attacking Chidambaram over his reported comments that there is a sense of fear in Kashmir over the PDP’s alliance with BJP, he said Congress aligned with National Conference and PDP all these years and was not able to digest the “historical turn” the state had taken with the PDP-BJP alliance in power.

“He speaks about broken promises. He should say which promises. Now he remembers them. Congress ruled the country for all these years. It formed governments with NC and PDP. He was the home minister. He should say which were the promises not fulfilled.

“What did successive governments, from Nehru ji to Sonia ji, do?… This is nothing but doing politics over national security for short term benefits,” Naidu said, targeting some “armed-chair” politicians and sections of media.

The Kashmir problem was not caused by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and people know who were in power and how they handled it, he said targeting Congress governments.

The government, Naidu said, was equally committed to the development of Kashmir and referred to Modi’s visits to review developmental activities.

Referring to the killing of Burhan Wani, which sparked protests in the valley, he accused some parties and columnists of directly or indirectly showing sympathies with the terrorist, who was wanted in 15 murder cases, by making it a big issue.

“How can anybody sympathise with terrorists?… Those who are carrying out propaganda about Kashmir are doing injustice to the country,” he said.

If security forces make mistakes, there is mechanism within system to redress them, he said.

Targeting Pakistan, Naidu said one can realise the extent of frenzy it is trying to build over the issue as he accused it of funding and abetting terrorism and referred to the Mumbai attack mastermind Hafiz Sayeed’s mention of Wani at a meeting there. It is waging a proxy war against India, he said.

Opposition parties are carrying out misinformation campaign against the government due to the prime minister’s rising popularity, he claimed.

He also made a mention of Congress leader Jyotiraditya Scindia’s remarks in the Lok Sabha that there should be “plebiscite” in Kashmir and said Scindia clarified to him that he did not mean it.

Scindia had used Urdu word ‘Rai shumari’ which, he later clarified, was meant for dialogue.

Chidambaram’s views on Kashmir are his personal: Congress

New Delhi:Congress today sought to distance itself from the remarks of former Union Minister P Chidambaram on Kashmir, saying the views expressed by him are his personal.

“I think it is his personal view,” Congress Spokesperson Sushmita Dev said at the AICC briefing.

Dev initially refrained from commenting on Chidambaram’s remarks saying Kashmir is burning and is a “sensitive issue” and there should be a responsible reaction from her party.

“I would check with the party rather than giving a knee-jerk reaction,” she said earlier. Dev reacted only after Chidambaram’s comments were read out to her.

Proposing a radical solution to the situation in Kashmir, Chidambaram who is a senior Congress leader and former Home Minister advocated restoring the “grand bargain” under which Kashmir had acceded to India by granting a large degree of autonomy, warning that otherwise the country will have to pay a “heavy price”.

“I think their approach is wrong. We have ignored the grand bargain under which Kashmir acceded to India. I think we broke faith, we broke promises and as a result we have paid a heavy price,” he had said yesterday.

PTI