Opposition parties have chided the Home Minister Rajnath Singh’s statement of resolving Kashmir in a year saying that BJP has no policy on Kashmir and giving deadlines for resolution of the issue is an attention diverting tactic.

Reacting to Rajnath Singh’s address in public rally in Sikkim on Sunday where he had said that the government will find a permanent solution to the Kashmir issue in a year, the opposition parties in Kashmir have derided the government’s statement.

Indian National Congress state president G A Mir said that during 2014 parliament elections BJP would say ‘give us mandate, we will resolve Kashmir issue within one day’.

“Now, they are in government from the last three years and how they have resolved Kashmir issue is before us all. The worsening situation in the state is an open book before the world,” he said.

He claimed that BJP has no policy on Kashmir and the region has never been on party’s agenda. “The party uses Kashmir as vote bank at the national level. The political initiatives and confidence building measures taken by the Congress have been left on the shelves in New Delhi. Now, giving calendars and deadlines about resolution of Kashmir issue is nothing more than attention diverting tactics from the real issue,” he added.

National Conference said that setting deadlines won’t resolve the issues in the state at a time when situation is aggravated on the ground.

“Setting a one-year deadline won’t matter. What matters is the initiating result-oriented dialogue and efforts to resolve the issue,” NC provincial president Nasir Aslam Wani said.

“BJP instead of taking initiatives is trying to polarize and divide the state by pitching one region against the other and district against another district,” he said.

CPI (M) state secretary and independent MLA from Kulgam M Y Tarigami said that the BJP has not started any initiative on the resolution of the issue.

“When there is no beginning, how can there be any solution and that too in a year,” Tarigami said.

“We don’t have any objection to hearing the deadlines, but where are the directions and initiatives that will pave way for resolution within a year. Their leaders are talking in different tones. Ram Madhav and Jitender Singh are saying Kashmir is no issue; Rajnath Singh says BJP will resolve issue in a year. Even they have not implemented Agenda of Alliance for confidence building measures,” he said.

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