BJP opposes Kashmir autonomy resolution

NEW DELHI, JULY 1: The BJP on Saturday strongly opposed the autonomy resolution passed by Jammu and Kashmir assembly saying it would encou...

NEW DELHI, JULY 1: The BJP on Saturday strongly opposed the autonomy resolution passed by Jammu and Kashmir assembly saying it would encourage other states to raise similar demands quot;giving rise to instability.quot;

quot;We have made it clear to the Government that BJP is opposed to the resolution as it will cause disintegration of the country,quot; party president Kushabhau Thakre told newsmen after a two-hour meeting with Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee and Home Minister L K Advani.

He said the party8217;s stand on Jammu and Kashmir was very clear that there should be no question of going back to the pre-1953 status.

National Conference, a constituent of ruling NDA at the Centre, had recently got a resolution on autonomy adopted in the state Assembly.

The Prime Minister on Friday said Chief Minister Farooq Abdullah had assured him that the autonomy report would only be discussed in the Assembly, but it passed a resolution. quot;His government would consider it within the framework of the country8217;s Constitutionquot;, he added.

Justifying BJP8217;s opposition to the autonomy, Thakre said quot;we cannot afford to have separate constitutional bodies like Supreme Court and Election Commission more than 50 years after independence.quot;

Earlier, party Vice President J P Mathur said the Jammu and Kashmir chief minister brought the resolution as quot;he wants to win the assembly elections by instigating Islamic fundamentalism in the Valley.quot;

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He said quot;Farooq8217;s speech in the assembly reflects his deep communal mind and he is playing on the communal feeling to win the elections.quot;

Mathur said Farooq Abdullah wants to undo everything that the 1975 agreement which had been entered into between Indira Gandhi and his father Sheikh Abdullah stood for.

quot;On what basis is Farooq going back on the agreement entered into by his father and under what pressure is he acting?quot; asked Mathur.

Thakre said the three leaders reviewed the party8217;s performance in the panchayat elections in Uttar Pradesh.

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quot;There is no change in our position in these elections as we have maintained our status quo as far as the number of seats are concerned,quot; he said.

The BJP president said the party would undertake a detailed analysis of the results in the next couple of days.

He said the meeting of the three leaders was on the cards almost ten days ago but since both Vajpayee and Advani were abroad, it could not take place.