Kashmir situation alarming, says Advani

Terming the situation in Jammu and Kashmir as "alarming", Bharatiya Janata Party leader L K Advani said the state administration had "completely collapsed" and the United Progressive Alliance government was about to "capitulate" before Pakistan- supported secessionists.

On the eve of the crucial all-party meeting convened by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to discuss the situation in violence-hit Kashmir, Advani opposed any dilution of the controversial Armed Forces Special Powers Act (AFSPA) or withdrawal of troops, saying it would mean "surrendering before Islamabad's strategy of breaking India's unity". Attacking both the state and Central governments, he said "the mess in Kashmir" was not the making of only the Omar Abdullah government but the UPA government is also "totally clueless and spineless."

Addressing a BJP workshop, Advani said, "Each passing day strengthens our apprehension that the UPA government is about to capitulate before Pakistan-supported secessionists." The BJP leader said there is talk of a "political solution" to the Kashmir issue. "Instead of giving a fitting reply to the secessionists, the government has been demonising the security forces. There is continuing talk of diluting the AFSPA, and withdrawal of the forces! This is nothing but a surrender before Islamabad's strategy of breaking Indias post-1947 unity," he said.

Advani said, "this is what the military rulers of Pakistan have been dreaming of ever since their defeat in the 1971 war. "It is a shameful irony that if one Congress Prime Minister was responsible for India's historic victory in that war, another Congress set up is working towards India's surrender to Pakistan's proxy war on India in Kashmir".

The BJP leader said there is talk of granting maximum autonomy to Kashmir and added that, "when decoded, it means giving J&K its pre-1953 status. Far from repealing Article 370, the UPA government looks all set to repeal years and decades of our collective gains in Kashmir, all because of its lack of will, vision, commitment and competence. "I would like to remind the UPA government that when the J&K legislative assembly adopted the so-called autonomy resolution in June 2000, the Vajpayee government rejected it outright".

He said that at that time he had commented that it's acceptance will set the clock back and reverse the natural process of harmonising the aspirations of the people of the state with the integrity of the nation. If the government were to accept it, it would encourage trends that will not be conducive to national unity. "We are all in favour of giving greater powers to all states as the concept of federalism warrants. But in the name of autonomy we cannot allow the process of Kashmirs integration to be reversed," Advani said.

Speaking separately on the Kashmir situation, senior leader Arun Jaitley said, "we want peace to return. But it cannot return till separatists have a free hand and the Army's hands are tied". He said the BJP's strategy was very clear--strengthen the security environment and don't allow miscreants to have a free hand. At the same time, in a strengthened security environment, Government can restart the dialogue process