Cong downplays NC remarks on AFSPA, Afzal

Congress today sought to downplay the recent remarks of its ally National Conference (NC) in Jammu and Kashmir on AFSPA, autonomy and the hanging of Afzal Guru.
Party spokesperson Rashid Alvi said the NC and Congress are running an alliance government in the state and "what will happen in next election, the leadership of Congress party will decide."
He was asked how will Congress, which has a different take on these issues, fight the next election in alliance with NC.
Asked to explain whether he meant that Congress could change the ally in the next election, Alvi said he did not mean any such thing.

Union Minister and NC chief Farooq Abdullah, in a meeting of the party's Central Working Committee (CWC) held a few days back had said that AFSPA should be lifted in a phased manner from various parts of the state.
The meeting was attended by the working president of the party Omar Abdullah and all the members of the CWC.
It also expressed its deep anguish over the denial of the opportunity to the family of Afzal Guru of meeting him before his execution and demanded the return of his mortal remains to the bereaved family. It had also sought restoration of Jammu and Kashmir's autonomy.