Even as the government is mulling a strategy to end the ongoing violent clashes between security forces and the people in the Kashmir valley, senior members of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) met Prime Minister Manmohan Singh today to demand no step be taken to dilute the central government’s authority on the state.
Soon after the meeting, the BJP leaders said India had committed a historical mistake in noy resolving the Kashmir issue in the past 63 years and the recent demand for autonomy, self-rule or dilution of the central government’s authority have nothing to do with the present problem in the Kashmir valley. They said the people of India would never accept autonomy or self-rule for the state.
“The government must not take any step that could give strength to militants and separatists in Kashmir and weaken the powers of our soldiers and policemen, who are under attack from stone-pelters. Any such step would only weaken the morale of the forces,” said L K Advani, senior leader of the party.
Advani said the present demands made by separatists were intended to weaken India’s sovereignty. “Dilution of the Army’s presence in the valley, dilution of the provisions of the Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act, dilution of the Line of Control and allowing legitimacy to infiltration are some of the examples.”
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