NAIDU ATTACKS CHIDAMBARAM OVER KASHMIR

NEW DELHI: Information and broadcasting minister M Venkaiah Naidu on Saturday trained his guns on former home minister P Chidambaram over his comments on the Kashmir situation, questioning the Congress party’s stand on the strife-torn border state.

Speaking at a function in Hyderabad on Friday, Chidambaram said he had a sinking feeling that India had nearly lost Kashmir due to the use of excessive force by the security forces to crush dissent there.

Reacting to the Congress leader’s comments, Naidu said, “He knows about the fragile situation in Kashmir as he has also served as the home minister. It is wrong to make such statements and not in the best interest of the country.”

Naidu’s onslaught indicates an escalating war of words between the BJP and the Congress when the two are locked in an electoral battle in Uttar Pradesh and other states.

Chidambaram said course correction was required to prevent the Kashmir situation from worsening. Condemning his statement, Naidu said, “We want to ask the Congress party what is their stand on Kashmir?”

Chidambaram also criticised army chief General Bipin Rawat’s comments that those who hinder counter-insurgency operations or display flags of Pakistan and the Islamic State in Kashmir will be considered “anti-national.”

The government backed Rawat, saying the military had “full freedom” to conduct counter-insurgency and counter-terrorism operations.