Amid the buzz that the Centre is seriously contemplating “autonomy package” for the turbulent Valley as much-hyped political solution to the K-issue, the winter capital on Wednesday saw the Congress and Bharatiya Janata Party engaged in verbal duel over the issue.
While the BJP activists led by the party MLAs as a part of its state-wide agitation against “autonomy” organised dharnas in 41 constituencies of the state, Congress leaders maintained in public discourses at a rally in Akhnoor that they were not averse to the idea, the cornerstone of their coalition partner’s political philosophy and recipe to resolve K-issue. The stand of Congress was a clear deviation from its earlier stated position where under it stresses for delimitation of Assembly constituencies.
“Congress is not averse to autonomy but certainly no Azadi, no separate Kashmir. What’s the objection if Kashmir gets autonomy, rest assured Jammu and Ladakh region would get equal share in any deal,” maintained Congress MP from Jammu-Poonch Madan Lal Sharma.
JKPCC president and MP Prof. Saifuddin Soz, without naming the proposal of autonomy, stated, “Don’t worry, what ever would come out as a political solution, would be for all the three regions of the state. Jammu and Ladakh would not be discriminated. Congress is for the unity, integrity of the state.” However, BJP state president Shamsher Singh Manhas, who along with party MLA Jugal Kishore Sharma, led protest dharna at Nagrota, alleged that except a handful of leaders of NC, including its president Dr Farooq Abdullah and CM Omar Abdullah, no one from Jammu, Kashmir or Ladakh regions has uttered even a single word in favour of Autonomy.
He described the “autonomy as a dead issue.”