NEWSLINKS
US EDITION
COLUMNISTS
DIARY
SPECIALS
INTERVIEWS
CAPITAL BUZZ
REDIFF POLL
DEAR REDIFF
THE STATES
YEH HAI INDIA!
ELECTION 99
ELECTIONS
AUTONOMY
ARCHIVES

Search Rediff

Rediff Shopping

Shop & gift from thousands of products!   Books     Music       Apparel   Jewellery   Flowers   More..      Safe Shopping

BJP calls Farooq Abdullah a 'patriot'

Reflecting the thaw in relations between the National Conference and National Democratic Alliance following Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee's invitation to Farooq Abdullah for talks on the Kashmir autonomy issue, the Bharatiya Janata Party today described the Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister as a "patriot".

In sharp contrast to BJP leaders' hard-hitting remarks against the NC and Abdullah till the other day, party spokesman M Venkaiah Naidu, in a change of tune, today came with a pronounced softening of stand, saying that the NC was part of the NDA.

On July 4, the Union Cabinet had rejected the autonomy resolution passed by the J&K assembly and senior BJP leader J P Mathur had said Abdullah was "representing Muslim fundamentalists" in the Kashmir valley and even accused him of "encouraging fundamentalism".

On talks between Abdullah and the Centre on the autonomy issue, Naidu said, "Other issues can be discussed as the resolution was rejected by the Union Cabinet after due consideration."

Reiterating that the BJP was against restoration of pre-1953 status to J&K, he said his party, however, supported devolution of powers to states but not the concept of autonomy as envisaged in the resolution passed by the state assembly.

PTI

See full coverage on autonomy

Back to top

Tell us what you think of this report