Congress lauds progress in talks on Amarnath issue

New Delhi, Aug 27 (UNI) Expressing happiness over the "considerable progress" made in talks and interaction with the Shri Amarnath Sangharsh Samiti in Jammu and Kashmir, the Congress today said the objective of all right thinking persons was to restore peace and calm in the sensitive state.

"We are happy that responsible interlocutors had taken consistent approach," AICC Spokesman Abishek Manu Singhvi told mediapersons.

While lauding the attempt at "keeping at right distance" those including the BJP, who had been trying to fish in troubled waters, he said : "It is only such initiative which will restore calm and peace." He gave credit to the Congress-led UPA government for its initiative in bringing together all divergent groups in Jammu and Kashmir.

Deprecating the "negative statement" of the BJP blaming the government for lacking any constructive solution, Dr Singhvi said the UPA had repeatedly said that India's vibrant democracy was prepared to consider all alternative models of decentralised self-government and autonomy.

"It is open to all constructive elements to engage in such constructive engagements.

There is no question of encouraging those who are terrorists or those who owe allegiance to forces inimical to the country or those who want more autonomy and those who propagate and indulge in violence and think of secessionism." In this context, he recalled the decades-old resolution of the Parliament claiming back all the territory described as Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK).

''That Parliamentary resolution should always remain a stark reminder of India's consistent stand on territorial secessionism,'' he said.

UNI SH PK HT1915