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BJP takes Mandela to task for raising Kashmir at NAM

The Bharatiya Janata Party today criticised South African President Nelson Mandela for making a reference to Kashmir in his speech at the NAM summit yesterday, saying he had broken the tradition of not raking up any bilateral issue at the forum.

BJP vice-president K L Sharma said Mandela departed from the convention that no bilateral issue should be raised at the non-aligned movement.

He said the BJP had a consistent stand on Kashmir which was an issue between India and Pakistan. "No third-party interference would be allowed in it."

Sharma, however, disagreed that Mandela had referred to the Kashmir issue at the instance of the United States. "I don't think so," he said.

Coming down heavily on Mandela for raising the Kashmir issue at the NAM summit, Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Farooq Abdullah said today he would ask Prime Minister A B Vajpayee to send him for talks with the South African president.

''Let the prime minister return from abroad and I would have discussions with him. Personally I would like to visit South Africa and meet Mandela and explain to him India's stand on the Kashmir issue'', the chief minister told newspersons.

Stressing that Jammu and Kashmir was an integral part of India, Dr Abdullah described Mandela's reference to Kashmir as unfortunate. ''Never in the history of NAM has a bilateral issue been raised''. He called upon all political parties to stand united on this national issue. ''Otherwise the hands of those trying to divide us will become strong," he warned.

He said he would explain to Mandela, how a proxy war had been unleashed against India by Pakistan. He said the Taliban was active in the Kashmir valley and the Indian security forces were tackling them.

In Jaipur, BJP president Kushabhau Thakre today criticised Mandela for referring to the Kashmir issue in his address to the forum.

He told newspersons that Mandela's statement on the Kashmir issue at the NAM conference had violated traditional norms and was not ''proper''. He, however, did not agree that this was due to the failure of Indian diplomatic efforts.

The BJP president was also critical of US President Bill Clinton's discussions with his Soviet counterpart at their recent summit, and said the US only wanted to continue its monopoly in the world.

UNI

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