Chidambaram questions BJP’s ‘muscular’ policy for Kashmir

Srinagar, Jan 07: Former Union finance minister P Chidambaram took a dig at ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government for “failing” to restore normalcy in Jammu and Kashmir.
He said that “militaristic and muscular” policy has failed to achieve anything in Jammu and Kashmir.
Chidambaram said that there is an “issue” concerning Jammu and Kashmir and there are frequent reminders to indicate it.
In a series of tweets on Sunday, Chidambaram said: “It was claimed that the hard, muscular, militaristic approach will put an end to infiltration and militancy. Has it?.
In another tweet, he said: “If you are one of those who had thought that the hard, muscular, militaristic approach of the government should be given a chance, please look at the table once again. You may change your view.”
Saying that there is an “issue” concerning the Jammu and Kashmir and, there are frequent reminders given about it, he wrote: “From time to time we are rudely reminded that there is an issue concerning the state of Jammu & Kashmir. The last reminder came on the night of 30-31 December 2017, when militants attacked the CRPF Training Centre at Lethpora in Pulwama district killing five CRPF personnel and injuring three”.
Terming Center’s recent appointment of interlocutor Dineshwar Sharma to the Valley as a ploy to garner votes for BJP ahead of Gujarat elections, he said: “ On the eve of the election in Gujarat, the government appointed Mr Dineshwar Sharma as Special Representative (SR), but his mandate was not clear. Subsequently, it was indicated that the SR will talk to anyone who was willing to meet him, and therein lies the catch,” he tweeted.
Asking Center to shun its aggressive approach on Kashmir and instead adopt the policy on the lines of former prime ministers Atal Bihari Vajpayee and Dr Manmohan Singh, he wrote: “Wisdom lies in actively working to find a political solution to the issue of J&K. Both Mr A B Vajpayee and Dr Manmohan Singh will be remembered for their diligent efforts to find a solution to the issue”.