BJP to oppose any move by Centre to ''appease'' separatists

New Delhi, Feb 3 (PTI) BJP today said it will oppose anymove by the Centre to "appease" separatists, includingrenaming the Governor of Jammu and Kashmir as ''sadr-e-riyasat''and said no solution to the problem could be found tillCongress admits to its mistakes made towards the strife-tornstate.

"We will oppose if any decision is taken in favour ofseparatists such as renaming Governor as ''Sadr-e-Riyasat'',bringing autonomy, giving certain rights of the Centre to thestate...," leader of the Opposition in the Rajya Sabha ArunJaitley said here.

He said the Centre has only a few rights in case of Jammuand Kashmir like defence, security, telecom, currency, foreignpolicy, jurisdiction of the Supreme Court and counter-terrorism measures.

"You want to make the Centre so weak that it cannot keepthe nation united," he said, pointing out that Jammu andKashmir has its own flag and constitution.

Addressing a gathering of BJP workers at the Delhi BJPheadquarters, he said if Congress fails to "honestly analysewhether the 63-year-old policy of Jawaharlal Nehru was wrongor not, and till the time they honestly admit the mistake, wewill not be able to move a step forward towards the solutionof the problem."

He said the history will make a "cruel judgement" onwhether the views of late Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru orBJP ideologue Shyama Prasad Mookerjee were correct.

He said in relation to BJP''s stand on Jammu and Kashmir,the party is largely isolated in political circles. "But it isa majestic isolation," he said, adding that privately evensome Congress leaders support his party''s stand.

Slamming Home Minister P Chidambaram for "misleading"people on the issue of "silent dialogue" to solve the Jammuand Kashmir issue, Jaitley said no forward movement has beenmade on the issue.

He also criticised the UPA government for not denying arecent statement by former Pakistan President Pervez Musharrafthat through "back channel diplomacy" India and Islamabad hadalmost reached an agreement to provide joint administrativecontrol to Jammu and Kashmir and PoK.

"I hope it is not true. But why has the government failedto deny his statement," he said.

The BJP leader claimed that while the National Conferencefavoured pre-1953 status for the state where Governor isreplaced by ''Sadr-e-Riyasat'' and Supreme Court had nojurisdiction, the PDP wanted self-rule and demilitarisationwhich will help separatists and terrorists to move freely.

He said such a move will "weaken the Line of Control"between India and Pakistan.