Jammu and Kashmir chief minister Omar Abdullah said on Saturday he will continue to support dialogue between India and Pakistan for resolution of outstanding issues between the two countries.
‘We have always been supporting dialogue and will always do that,’ Omar told reporters on the sidelines of a function. Responding to a question, Omar said the decision about holding dialogue with Pakistan was taken at the highest level in the country.
‘The decision on whether to hold talks or not is not ours (at state level). This decision is taken at the Centre at the highest level. Our PM will decide whether there should be talks or not and on what issues should there be dialogue,’ he said.
Asked to comment on a reported statement by DGP Ashok Prasad in which the top cop said there was no point in talking to Pakistan which continues to support militancy in the state, Omar said, ‘I haven’t come across any such statement made by the concerned DGP.’
Won’t stop Modi from holding rally in J&K
Meanwhile, Omar also said there was no question of stopping BJP’s prime ministerial candidate Narendra Modi from holding a rally in Srinagar if he desires so. ‘Where is the question of not allowing (Modi in Srinagar)? Please come! If you (BJP) have a party unit here and want to address 500 people, you can come. No one is stopping BJP from holding rallies,’ he said.
The chief minister clarified that BJP leaders were stopped from entering the state earlier this year because there was apprehension that the situation would further deteriorate in the aftermath of Kishtwar riots.
‘We have always been supporting dialogue and will always do that,’ Omar told reporters on the sidelines of a function. Responding to a question, Omar said the decision about holding dialogue with Pakistan was taken at the highest level in the country.
‘The decision on whether to hold talks or not is not ours (at state level). This decision is taken at the Centre at the highest level. Our PM will decide whether there should be talks or not and on what issues should there be dialogue,’ he said.
Asked to comment on a reported statement by DGP Ashok Prasad in which the top cop said there was no point in talking to Pakistan which continues to support militancy in the state, Omar said, ‘I haven’t come across any such statement made by the concerned DGP.’
Won’t stop Modi from holding rally in J&K
Meanwhile, Omar also said there was no question of stopping BJP’s prime ministerial candidate Narendra Modi from holding a rally in Srinagar if he desires so. ‘Where is the question of not allowing (Modi in Srinagar)? Please come! If you (BJP) have a party unit here and want to address 500 people, you can come. No one is stopping BJP from holding rallies,’ he said.
The chief minister clarified that BJP leaders were stopped from entering the state earlier this year because there was apprehension that the situation would further deteriorate in the aftermath of Kishtwar riots.