Third RTC was a 'silly joke', says BJP

Jammu, Apr 26 (UNI) Jammu and Kashmir BJP today said it had completely dissociated itself from the joint declaration of the third Round Table Conference (RTC) organised by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh at New Delhi, as it was a ''silly joke'' just to keep separatists forces happy.

Addressing a press conference, state BJP President Ashok Khajuria said, ''We have nothing to do with the joint declaration made after third RTC as our suggestions have not been incorporated in the reports of working groups.'' He alleged that there was now change in the Valley-centric approach of the centre and there was no benefit for the people of Jammu and the Ladakh area.

''We can only appreciate the patience of the Prime Minister for listening to participants at RTC for about 10 hours,'' Mr Khajuria said, asserting that meeting was a ''futile exersise''.

BJP leader said the ''terms of references'' in first RTC made his party believe that authorities were really committed to regenerating politco-economic life of people of J and K but thereafter all the two conferences were jokes cracked on people of Jammu, Ladakh and 1947 refugees.

Mr Khajuria, who was accompanied by party's former president Nirmal Singh and spokesman Hari Om, expressed concern over not providing representation to the refugees of Pakistan-occupied Kashmir and West Pakistan.

The third RTC was nothing but an ''official drama'' of Congress-led UPA government, they said.

Meanwhile, Prof Om asserted that all the three leaders of BJP, who attended RTC on April 24, were not allowed to make their speeches ''without being interrupted''.

UNI