BJP corners Congress over Azad, Soz's remarks; Jaitley says dealing with killers not muscular policy

The BJP has cornered the Congress over remarks by some of its leaders yesterday on Kashmir as Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitley saying that to deal with a killer (terrorists) was not just a "muscular policy".

Congress has been drawing flak for remarks by its leader Ghulam Nabi Azad and Saifuddin Soz over Kashmir issue in the last two days. While Azad had said that army operations in Kashmir had left more civilians dead than terrorists, Soz backed former Pakistan president Pervez Musharaff's earlier statement that 'Independence was the priority of Kashmir'. Musharraf's had made this remark several years ago and Soz said that it was 'true then and even now'.

On Friday, Jaitley said that to deal with a killer was not just a "muscular policy". It's a law and order issue that cannot wait for a political solution.

"This is not 'muscular'. It is the rule of law," the minister wrote in a Facebook post titled 'Who is threatening human rights?'

"A fidayeen is willing to die," he wrote. "He is also willing to kill. Should he be dealt with by offering Satyagraha before him?"

It must be recalled that former J&K chief minister Mehbooba Mufti, on the day BJP pulled out support from PD government, had said that 'muscular policy' would not work in Kashmir.

The BJP left no stone unturned to push the Congress to the wall and even demanded Rahul Gandhi to act against Azad and Soz.

Union Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad, while addressing the media, said that Congress's commitment to the country has undergone a sea change since Rahul Gandhi took charge of the party in December.