Gupta concerned over developments in Pak

Jammu, Oct 7 (UNI) Senior BJP leader and former Minister of State for Defence Chaman Lal Gupta today expressed concern over the elevation of ISI chief Lt Gen Ashfaq Pervez Kiyani as Army chief in Pakistan and the ''stagemanaged'' re-election of General Pervez Musharraf as President.

Addressing BJP followers at Hiranagar here, Prof Gupta described developments both in neighbouring Pakistan and strife-torn Jammu and Kashmir as far from being happy. He said, ''Testing times are ahead for the country, more so, for the nationalists of this part of India.'' He said the recent spurt in militancy itself speaks about the situation in the state.

An increase in the ratio of casualties to the troops to that of the ultras is also the direct result of ambiguous policies of the ruling UPA at the Centre and the coalition government in Jammu and Kashmir, the former minister said.

Assailing the functioning of Chief Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad, the BJP leader said, ''An increase in terrorist violence has proved the all-round failure of the state government and the anti-national voices have assumed new proportions.'' UNI