Manmohan Singh not to attend Saifuddin Soz's book launch

Former prime minister Dr. Manmohan Singh is not attending senior Congress leader Saifuddin Soz's book launch on Monday. According to reports, Dr. Singh was a guest for the event.

Though the reason for Dr. Singh not attending the event is not yet known, but this comes after Saifuddin Soz created a fresh row by toeing the line taken by former Pakistan President Pervez Musharraf on Kashmir. Speaking to news agency ANI, Soz said that given a choice, Kashmiris would prefer to be independent.

Soz said, "Musharraf said Kashmiris don't want to merge with Pakistan, their first choice is independence. The statement was true then and remains true now also. I say the same but I know that it is not possible. I am saying it for a long time."

His book titled 'Kashmir: Glimpses of History and the Story of Struggle'. The book will be released today.

"My book is on that [the issue of Kashmir] After defeat in the Kargil War, Musharraf could not achieve his goal. Later, he tried to convince everyone in Pakistan that Kashmiris didn't want to merge with Pakistan. Kashmiris want independence. But independence is not possible," Soz told reporters last week.

In January 2006, Saifuddin Sozwas inducted into the ministry of Prime Minister Manmohan Singh as Minister of Water Resources, a position he held until early 2009. Soz was appointed President of the Jammu and Kashmir Pradesh (state) Congress Committee in February 2008. He was also one of the front runners for the post of Vice-President of India in 2007 and 2012.