Three-member Cong panel to study Soz's book

Jammu and Kashmir unit of the Congress today constituted a three-member committee to study veteran party leader Saifuddin Soz's book which has been in the eye of a political storm due to controversial excerpts.

Prior to the release of his book - "Kashmir: Glimpses of History and the Story of Struggle", Soz stoked controversy by backing former Pakistan president Pervez Musharraf's assessment that Kashmiris will opt for independence if given a chance. Reportedly, his book also endorses the view.

Jammu and Kashmir Pradesh Congress Committee (JKPCC) President G A Mir has constituted a committee to study the book written by Soz, party's chief spokesperson Ravinder Sharma said.

The committee will comprise of senior party leaders Amrit Malhotra, S Gurmukh Singh and G N Mir Laszan, he added.

Headed by Malhotra, the committee will submit its view point to the party within the shortest possible time, Sharma said.

On Sunday, the JK Congress chief Ghulam Ahmad Mir said the committee will talk to Soz to ascertain if the views in the book are his or he attributed them to the party.

The Congress will not own anything that is not in line with the party policy, he added.

At the launch of his book in Delhi yesterday, Soz repeatedly said that it was his book and his party was not responsible for it.

Following Soz's controversial statement, the Congress leader and his party faced a barrage of criticism from the BJP.

The Congress had distanced itself from Soz's remarks, terming them a "cheap gimmick" to promote the book.