India not in talks with Taliban: BJP

The BJP on Friday hit back at former Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah saying the government was not in talks with the Taliban in any form and that India had been invited as part of a reconciliation team for peace moves in Afghanistan.

The Bharatiya Janata Party's remarks came a day after Abdullah slammed the Centre for talking to the Taliban at a non-official level while not doing so by engaging with the Kashmiri separatist leadership,

"There is no talks with Taliban. India was simply invited as part of a reconciliation team for peace measures in Afghanistan," BJP spokesperson Sambit Patra said here.

Earlier, the Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson confirmed that India will attend, albeit at a non-official level, a multilateral meeting in Moscow on Afghanistan where the Afghan Taliban will also be present.

This is the first time India will be sharing the table with the Afghan Taliban on issues of peace and stability in Afghanistan.

Attacking the Abdullahs, the BJP leader said: "As far as these people are concerned, (Omar and Farooq) time and again have been clutching to excuses to demand autonomy... Jammu and Kashmir is an integral part of India. Those demanding autonomy are doing disservice to the country."

--IANS

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