“Farooq Abdullah’s statement that former Prime Minister, Atal Behari Vajpayee and his then counterpart Nawaz Sharief, who was also the Prime Minister of Pakistan, had agreed to convert the LoC into the International Border during Vajpayee’s visit to Lahore and Vajpayee took Farooq into confidence, shared with him the agreement reached” is simply a bluff, said State BJP Spokesperson, Prof. Virender Gupta. He added that none of the press reporters, including Kuldip Nayyar had reported about the agreement that Farooq talks about and none of the NDA leaders, who were the members of Vajpayee’s Cabinet, had ever mentioned about the agreement. He said that it was Farooq’s view, which he expressed number of times in media in those days.
He told that had Pakistan agreed to this formula, there would have been no infiltration’s from across the borders, no Pakistan sponsored terrorist activities and no ceasefire violations by Pakistan, particularly with Nawaz Sharief being again the Prime Minister of Pakistan.
Prof. Virender Gupta ridiculed the repeated statements from Abdullahs that India should give internal autonomy to Kashmir by keeping only defence, communication and foreign affairs with the centre and giving rest all powers to the State. He said that Abdullah is living in fool’s paradise; the needles of the clock can never be reversed back; no change has so far brought in the Article 370, whatever the centre laws have been applied to the State that was done with the consent of the State Government. He added that Sheikh Mohamed had reconciled with the situation and entered into an accord with Smt. Indira Gandhi, and more than 18 new central laws were applied to the State with the approval of the State Government during the regimes of Sheikh, Farooq and Omar Abdullah. The Spokesperson said that in the Common Agenda of Governance signed by PDP and BJP, it was agreed to have negotiations with the stakeholders and stakeholders are those who have faith in the Instrument of Accession and want a solution in the frame work of Indian Constitution. He told the NC leaders that all efforts are being made to restore the confidence of the people, in particular the youth in the State administration and in Indian Republic. The forces are there to protect the life and properties of the majority of the people who want peace and progress. He asked the Abdullahs to contribute in the efforts of the Government in bringing peace, instead of indulging in politics and instigating the common masses and added that restoration of peace is also in their benefit.
Prof. Virender Gupta advised the Abdullahs, who were the Chief Ministers of the State, to desist from projecting themselves as the leaders of merely Kashmir Valley, that too of a particular community, and take care of the aspirations of the people of Jammu and Ladakh regions and the majority population of the State. He added that their sectarian and divisive approach shall not be good for the State and the country. He said that they should keep into mind that the majority population is not in favour of continuation of Article 370 and wants to enjoy the benefits that the people in other parts of the country are enjoying; people do not want tolerate the hegemony of any family or any ideology.
