PDP hits out at Farooq Abdullah for reportedly cautioning separatist from entering into dialogue with Centre

Hitting out at NC president Farooq Abdullah over his reported statement cautioning separatists against entering into a dialogue with the Centre, the ruling PDP in Jammu and Kashmir today said it was "an attempt to sabotage" the prospects of peace and stability in the state.

"The politics of the NC has thrived on disruptions and turmoil in Jammu and Kashmir. The party is convinced that it can survive only by being a part of the problem rather than the solution for which post-2002, the entire mainstream has been campaigning in the state," senior PDP leader and Public Works and Culture Minister Naeem Akhtar said in a statement here.

The National Conference (NC) leader, in an interview to a local paper, had reportedly cautioned the separatist leadership against going into formal talks with the Centre, unless New Delhi has a "concrete proposal" for the resolution of the Kashmir issue.

"Don't fall into the trap. They didn't give us autonomy, which was passed by the state assembly and is within the ambit of the Constitution, what will they offer to you (separatists) ?" Abdullah had said.

Expressing confidence that the stakeholders would take an independent view on the Centre's offer of dialogue, the minister hit out at the NC president for attempting to sabotage the prospects of peace and stability in Jammu and Kashmir.

Akhtar said Abdullah's statement has once again sent out a signal that he can use his political position only to "subvert" any process aimed at bringing peace and stability to the state.

"Abdullah will not like a permanent and dignified solution to our problems as his party has always thrived on confusion, somersault, and U-turns which have landed the state into a crisis affecting many generations," he said.

The minister alleged that the NC president's latest "hit-and-run statement" on the eve of his departure to London is the continuation of his persistent attempts at "torpedoing" very serious efforts at resolution of problems.

"The people of J-K now know fully where the party stands in respect of the prevailing peace discourse in the state," he said.

The minister alleged that going by the statement, masked as a warning to the Hurriyat, Abdullah looks like he is still using the "dead horse of autonomy to subvert" any process of resolving the Kashmir issue.

"He brings out the ghost of autonomy every time he is fighting an election to ensure that peace doesn't return to the land that has been a victim of his family politics since 1931," Akhtar said.

"Abdullah is on record having said that his government will make the Hurriyat rot in jails. On different occasions, he has talked about bombarding Pakistan and showering bullets on Kashmiris.

"It will be better for J-K if the NC president explains these careless remarks first before warning other about what to do and what not to do," he said.

The minister alleged that the NC leadership is "deluded" into believing that the party has a divine right to decide the destiny of Jammu and Kashmir.