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Farooq dilutes stand on pre-1953 status

Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Farooq Abdullah today diluted his stand on the demand for restoration of pre-1953 status to his state, saying the demand was not a lakshman rekha and could be discussed.

When asked whether he would stick to his guns on going back to the pre-1953 situation, after he met Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M Karunanidhi in Madras, Abdullah said: ''There is no such lakhman rekha. All this can be discussed in talks on the autonomy demand.''

Instead of summarily rejecting his state assembly's resolution, the Centre should have initiated a discussion, he said.

''They (the Centre) should have told us where we went wrong, instead of dismissing the resolution,'' Abdullah said.

Rejecting Union Home Minister L K Advani's suggestion to forward a fresh set of proposals for discussion, he said it took three years to prepare the present set of proposals. ''How long it will take to prepare another report?''

Abdullah said he was not told about the demand for new proposals and had seen it only in the press.

On whether the National Conference would snap ties with the National Democratic Alliance because of the Centre's rejection of the assembly resolution, he said the NC working committee would decide on the issue.

PTI

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