Naidu asks Congress to respond to Chidambaram's 'anti-national' statement

Reiterating his allegation that former Home Minister P. Chidambaram's statement on Kashmir is "anti-national", Union Information and Broadcasting Minister Venkaiah Naidu Sunday questioned the silence of the Congress on the issue.

The BJP leader told reporters here that even 24 hours after his reaction to Chidambaram's statement, Congress has not responded.

"Congress party must come clean and make its stand clear whether they are in agreement with Chidambaram's statement," he said.

Naidu also wanted the opposition party to clarify whether it is in agreement with remarks of other party leaders finding fault with the Army Chief's statement on Kashmir.

The central minister termed as "anti-national" and "highly irresponsible" Chidambaram's statement that Kashmir was almost lost due to wrong policies of the central government which used brute force to quell dissent there.

Naidu said Pakistan which was aiding, abetting and funding terrorism will be happy with such statements.

He also lashed out at leaders of Congress and Communist parties for finding fault with the statement of Army Chief Bipin Rawat, who had given a stern warning to separatists aiding the terrorists.

Blaming Congress for the Kashmir problem, the BJP leader said Jawaharlal Nehru committed historical mistake. He said had then Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru allowed his deputy Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel to handle Kashmir like Hyderabad, there would have been no Kashmir problem.

Claiming that BJP is expanding as a real national party, he said the government was trying to solve problems created by 50 years of Congress misrule.

"People want Modi to be there for another 10 years. That feeling is getting strengthened day by day. I don't say everything is over but country is moving in that direction and it is a positive direction," he said.

"Our opponents are not able to digest emergence of Modi as darling of masses and universally acceptable leader.. that is why they are trying to belittle his importance," Naidu added.

--IANS

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