Congress' J&K policy planning group meets ahead of CWC meet

 Ahead of the Congress Working Committee meeting, the party's Jammu and Kashmir Policy Planning group met at the residence of former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to discuss the issue of Article 370's revocation and the bifurcation of the state.

The meeting was chaired by Manmohan Singh, while several senior leaders like Ghulam Nabi Azad, Ambika Soni, P. Chidambaram, Ghulam Ahmed Mir and Tariq Ahmir Kara attended it.

Briefing media after the meeting, Azad said: "Today is CWC meeting, three four days ago we had a meeting of J&K policy planning group whose chairperson is Dr Manmohan Singh. Last week we were not aware of the government's plan, so we again met today."

Hitting out at the BJP government, he said: "The way in which the BJP government in a hurry used the Constitution and split the Jammu and Kashmir in several parts by making it Union territories and ended Article 370 and 35 A has hurt the sentiments of people of Kashmir."

Slamming Union Home Minister Amit Shah, Azad said: "The Home Minister is saying that the people are celebrating in Jammu and Kashmir while the situation is that 20 out of 22 districts, people cannot come out of their house, no telephone or mobile is working there, no internet working, no messages can be sent. And when four people assemble at a house, then you are saying that they are celebrating?"

"If 50 people of a party come at a place in Kashmir, then shall you describe it as celebration? Do those 50 people represent the entire Kashmir?

"Lift the curfew and then see the real situation whether it's celebrating or saddended by the decision," he said.

"What the BJP government has done with Kashmir, with the Constitution... they have ended the stature of a state from the Indian map," Azad said, alleging that the Modi government has done all this so that the state government there remains under their control through Lt Governor, the land remain under their control and even the state police remains under their control.

"By doing all this are you bringing the people of Kashmir closer or pushing them away?" he asked.

"The kind of mistake they have done was not done by any governments earlier," he added.

Another senior party leader said that the during the meeting, a draft has been prepared on Jammu and Kashmir issue which will be raised by Manmohan Singh during the CWC meeting, the party's top decision making body. IANS