We do not support govt's Kashmir policy: Congress ahead of Monsoon session

Govt's position on Kashmir has suffocated the political situation in the Valley, the Congress claims

Observing that differences with China over Kashmir was a new focal point, the Congress today said it would seek a debate in Parliament on the issue, while asserting that the party stood with the government on matters of territorial integrity and national security.

The government has closed all doors for dialogue on Kashmir "which has led to political suffocation in the Valley", senior Congress leader Ghulam Nabi Azad said.

"If the government thinks that elimination and guns are the only ways to curb tension in Kashmir, we are not with them," he told reporters after an all-party meeting a day before Parliament opens for the monsoon session.

The leader of Opposition in the Rajya Sabha said that earlier "Pakistan would figure in discussions on Kashmir, but now China is mentioned without fail".

Azad said the Congress has conveyed to the government that there are some sensitive issues related to the internal and external security that needed to be discussed during the Parliament session.

He also said opposition parties will seek a discussion on the India-China standoff in the Dokalam area near the Bhutan trijunction.

The Congress leader said the Opposition is likely to raise the issue of farmer suicides in Madhya Pradesh, GST's impact on the textile industry and the floods in Assam.

He said the Congress "is not in favour of stalling the proceedings of Parliament, but we are forced to do so when the government does not agree to our genuine demands".