Arun Jaitley slams Chidambaram, says Kashmir problem a Congress legacy

Union finance minister Arun Jaitley on Saturday held the previous Congress-led UPA regime at the Centre responsible for the Kashmir issue, claiming that the party's wrong policies gave an advantage to terrorists and extremists.

Reacting sharply to P Chidambaram's remarks on autonomy to Jammu and Kashmir, Jaitley said that the Congress is deceiving the country, itself by encouraging separatism in the state."It is hurting India's national interest," he told ANI.

The finance minister also said the Congress needs to clarify whether this is the party's stand or just the personal opinion of a senior party leader.

He said that more terrorists have been neutralised in the three years' rule of the Modi government as compared to the former regime and many development. We have succeeded in squeezing the funds of the terrorists, mass protests of stone throwers are by and large over, he added.

Hitting back at the Congress he said that "Kashmir problem is a Congress legacy. Instead of learning from its past mistakes, Cong wants to precipitate a crisis further for this country, he said adding that 10 years of the UPA Government was a wasted opportunity on J&K, not a single initiative worked."

"Congress people have no right to criticise the government because it is the party responsible for the Kashmir issue due of its wrong policies and wrong approach towards terrorists," he told reporters.

Chidambaram landed in controversy after saying that Kashmir needed autonomy. "My interactions in Jammu and Kashmir led me to the conclusion that when they ask for 'Azadi', most people want autonomy". Trying to sort of find a middle-line to solve the Kashmir problem.

OneIndia News