Modi has junked Vajpayees Kashmir policy, says Digvijay

Senior Congress leader Digvijay Singh on Tuesday said Prime Minister Narendra Modi has dumped former PM Atal Bihari Vajpayees famous policy on Jammu and Kashmir by scrapping the special status granted to the border state under Article 370 of the Constitution.

Vajpayee, who was prime minister from 1998-2004, had based his Kashmir policy on three principles - Kashmiriyat (inclusive Kashmiri culture), Insaniyat (humanism) and Jamhooriyat (democracy).

"Late Prime Minister Atalji had said 'Jamhooriyat, Kashmiriyat and Insaniyat', was only way out to solve the Jammu and Kashmir problem but Modi has junked it totally, Singh told reporters here.

"The decision (to scrap J&K's special status) was neither in accordance with Jamhooriyat, Kashmiriyat or Insaniyat. Narendra Modi had rejected Ataljis policy totally, the former Madhya Pradesh chief minister said.

His reaction came in response to a poser regarding his party colleague P Chidambaram's remark that the Centre would not have revoked provisions of Article 370 if J&K was a Hindu majority state.

Singh said it can be Chidambaram's personal view and maintained the Kashmir issue should not be seen with Hindu- Muslim perspective.