With evidence emerging that people from across the border were fomenting trouble in Kashmir, the Bharatiya Janata Party on Friday demanded an explanation from the government on the outcome of the recent high level talks between Home Minister P. Chidambaram and his Pakistani counterpart.
“After Home Minister P. Chidambaram and the Foreign Secretary held high level talks with their counterparts in Islamabad, it was said that Pakistan has assured that it will not support terrorists against India,” BJP spokesperson Ravi Shankar Prasad told reporters here
“But what is happening in Jammu and Kashmir is contrary to that. We want the Government of India to explain the outcome of the talks,” he said.
Mr. Chidambaram held talks with his Pakistani counterpart Rehman Malik on the sidelines of the SAARC Home Ministers’ conference in Islamabad late last month.
Prasad said the transcripts of the conversations between the terrorists in Pakistan and their “menials in Jammu and Kashmir” are evidence enough to show that people from across the border are fomenting trouble in the state.
“They are openly issuing directions and giving money to create problems in the State... the situation is getting critical by the day,” the BJP leader said.
Accusing Chief Minister Omar Abdullah of failing to deal with the situation, he said, “the Chief Minister should learn to rule and take everyone along... flamboyance always does not pay.”
He said the BJP had been warning Prime Minister Manmohan Singh against taking hurried decisions in holding talks with Pakistan. “When Atal Bihari Vajpayee was the Prime Minister, there were talks but situation was dealt with a firm action... the situation in Jammu and Kashmir had improved,” he added.
On Thursday, senior BJP leader L.K. Advani had described the situation in the State as “worrisome”.
