Out of power, NC singing tunes on greater autonomy: BJP

BJP today hit out at National Conference for raking up the issue of greater autonomy for Jammu and Kashmir, accusing the party of bringing up the matter whenever they are out of power.
"Whenever National Conference is in peril, by its habit, it always sings the tune of autonomy," BJP state spokesperson Virender Gupta said.
His comments came after NC MLA ALi Mohammad Sagar had said yesterday that the party would bring a resolution in the Jammu and Kashmir Assembly for restoring full autonomy granted to the state under Article 370 of the Indian Constitution.
"On the earlier occasion as well, NC constituted two committees -- one on state autonomy and other on regional autonomy.

Though it placed the recommendations of State Autonomy Committee in the legislature and accordingly passed the resolution which was forwarded to the government of India, it did not show any concern about the regional autonomy report," Gupta said.
He said the Centre can't afford to give greater autonomy to the state as it has serious repercussions on the safety and integrity of the country.
However, he said, it was under the jurisdiction of state government to give regional autonomy to all the regions of the state as was promised by late chief minister Sheikh Abdullah in 1953.
Gupta claimed a majority of the people of Jammu and Kashmir, including separatists, do not support the demand of autonomy as it would only serve the interests of an elite class.