After Rahul, Congress’ Aiyar slams Abdullah’s proposal on 3rd party mediation on Kashmir

Senior Congress leader Mani Shankar Aiyar rejected former CM of J&K Farooq Abdullah's suggestion of third party mediation on Kashmir issue.

New Delhi, July 24: The debate over any "third party" mediation on Kashmir issue is gaining momentum with each passing day.

On Friday, National Conference chief and former chief minister of Jammu and Kashmir, Farooq Abdullah, insisted that a third party can be approached for the settlement of the Kashmir issue between India and Pakistan.

Right from the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leaders, Congress vice president Rahul Gandhi to J&K CM Mehbooba Mufti, politicians cutting across party lines disagreed with Abdullah's suggestion.

On Monday, senior Congress leader Mani Shankar Aiyar, who closely follows Kashmir's politics, too said that there is no need for any third country's involvement in the affairs of J&K.

"I don't agree with him (Farooq Abdullah). There is no need for any third country's mediation on Kashmir," Aiyar was quoted as saying by ANI.

The former J&K CM said that India should approach the United States and China to resolve the Kashmir issue. Abdullah added India has so many allies across the globe, which can be approached for settling the Kashmir issue to act as a mediator between India and Pakistan.

"For how long are you going to wait? Sometimes, you have to take the bull by the horns. The way is to have a dialogue. India has so many friends all across the world. They can ask them to act as a mediator. US President Trump himself said that he wants to settle the Kashmir problem. China also said that it wants to mediate on Kashmir. Somebody has to be approached," Abdullah said.

Reacting to Abdullah's demand for a third party intervention, Mufti on Saturday said, "There can be no place for a third party intervention in Jammu and Kashmir."

"Let America and China mind their own business. Look at the places America has interfered in, be it Afghanistan, Syria, or Iraq. While China has its own problems to deal with in Tibet, we have the Lahore Declaration and the Shimla Agreement with us," Mufti added.

"This (Kashmir) is our internal matter and nobody has the right to interfere in it. I don't agree that Kashmir should be discussed with China or Pakistan. Kashmir is India and India is Kashmir," Gandhi said.

OneIndia News