Dineshwar Sharma not interlocutor but special representative: Jitendra Singh

Days after the Centre appointed former Intelligence Bureau Director Dineshwar Sharma as its special representative to initiate and carry forward dialogue with elected representatives, various organisations and concerned individuals in Jammu and Kashmir, Minister of State in the PMO Jitendra Singh on Thursday said "there is no such issue as Kashmir issue."

"Kaun sa vishey. Koi issue nahi hai (What issue, There is no such issue)," Singh said, expressing concern over BJP workers talking about Kashmir issue getting solved following the appointment of Dineshwar Sharma as interlocutor. "Jammu and Kashmir is like any other of the 29 states of India, he said, adding that the only issue to be addressed is how to get back areas of Kashmir which have been under illegal occupation of Pakistan for the last 70 years."

"Yeh interlocutor nahin hai, Kahan likha hai interlocutor, Kis order mein likha hai interlocutor (He is not interlocutor, where and in which order he has been mentioned interlocutor)," he said. In English, there is different meaning of every word, he said, adding that "Bharat Sarkar ne ek adhikari ko manoneet kiya hai, jaisey designated spokesperson hein humarey Brigadier Sahib. Yeh jo bolengey usko party ka man samja jayega, (Government of India has appointed an officer like we have Brigadier Sahib (Brig Anil Gupta) as designated spokesperson of the state BJP. What he speaks will be taken as the party's stand)."

Singh was among other senior BJP leaders addressing a rally convened for the first time as a show of strength to mark Accession Day as Vijay Diwas celebrations in Parade Ground here. On October 26, 1947, last Dogra ruler Maharaja Hari Singh had signed the Instrument of Accession acceding Jammu and Kashmir with India. The Jammu-based leaders of the opposition Congress and National Conference had been trying to portray BJP as being anti-Jammu on issues like declaration of public holiday on the birth anniversary of Maharaja Hari Singh which falls on September 23, during the past few months.

The word interlocutor has a different meaning, said the union minister who represents Udhampur parliamentary constituency in the Lok Sabha. However, to avoid complaints from people talks are not being held to the extent of their aspirations, he said. "Ek vyakti ko manoneet karke nirdarit kar diya niranatar charcha ki bjavastha ke liye (a person has been appointed for sustained dialogue process). Kal ko koi yeh na kahey ki charcha dhang se nahi hui (So that nobody complains tomorrow that talks were not held in detail)," added Singh.

Without naming former chief minister and National Conference leader Omar Abdullah, he said that a defeated politician writes a tweet thinking that he can change the discourse through it and that ongoing action against terrorism will stop. "Kya Rajnath Singh ji ne yeh kaha hai...Bharat Sarkar ne aisa kaha hai kya, Aaj bhi hum Salahudin ke betey ko pakad kar bethey hue hein, woh ek alag vishey hai (Has Rajnath Singh or the Government of India said so. Today also, we have kept Salahudin (Pakistan-based Hizbul Mujahideen supremo) in custody. It is an altogether different issue), he added.

Earlier, Deputy Chief Minister Dr Nirmal Singh also asked separatists to avail the opportunity and come forward for talks with Centre's interlocutor Dineshwar Sharma. Reacting to those talking of U-turn by the Centre, Singh said: "It has been our stand since the very beginning that there will be no talks under the noise of guns and mortars."

PTI