Autonomy for Kashmir only after consensus, says BJP

Reacting to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's Jammu and Kashmir's autonomy offer, senior Bharatiya Janata Party leader M Venkaiah Naidu on Wednesday said all political parties must first discuss the proposal thoroughly. Can autonomy bring peace in Kashmir?

Reacting to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's Jammu and Kashmir's autonomy offer, senior Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader M Venkaiah Naidu on Wednesday said all political parties must first discuss the proposal thoroughly.

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"The Prime Minister must first table a proposal on Jammu and Kashmir," said Naidu.

"We are for a total integration of Jammu and Kashmir. All political parties must first discuss the Prime Minister's proposal," he added.

The Prime Minister in his closing remarks at a meeting of representatives of various political parties from Jammu and Kashmir on Tuesday said: "If there is consensus among political parties on autonomy for the State, then it can be considered within the ambit of the Constitution."

"People of the State must have a life of self-respect and dignity," he added.

Noting that a 'political solution' is the key to the problem in Kashmir, Singh, however, made it clear that nothing will be done outside the framework of the Constitution.

"We are all servants of the Constitution. There are many shades of opinion in various parts of Jammu and Kashmir. I and my senior ministers present here show our seriousness in addressing the issues," he added.

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