By visiting Kashmir, Cong gave Centre chance to ‘play politics’: Mayawati

Tribune Web Desk 
August 26, Chandigarh

BSP chief Mayawati on Monday said that by visiting Kashmir, Congress leaders gave the Centre and the governor an opportunity to “play politics” over the issue.

In a series of tweets, Mayawati reiterated her party’s stance on the abrogation of Article 370, citing that Ambedkar always wanted the “unity of the nation”.

She also said that Ambedkar opposed the special status accorded to Jammu and Kashmir, which is why the BSP had supported the abrogation of Article 370 in Parliament.

Mayawati also said that it will take time for normalcy to return to Jammu and Kashmir. She said that the “issue should be given some time”, adding, that even the court has advocated for the same. 

She then said that under the prevailing circumstances for Congress leaders to visit Kashmir, without permission, was a move that gave the Centre a chance to play politics. She added, that the leaders should have deliberated before visiting Kashmir.

A delegation of 12 opposition leaders led by former Congress President Rahul Gandhi was on August 24 stopped at the Srinagar airport and sent back to Delhi.

The delegation, which wanted to visit the Kashmir Valley to study the situation, included D. Raja (CPI), Sitaram Yechury (CPI-M), Ghulam Nabi Azad, Anand Sharma and K.C. Venugopal (Congress), Sharad Yadav (LJD), Dinesh Trivedi (TMC), Tiruchi Siva (DMK), Majeed Memon (NCP), Manoj Jha (RJD) and D. Kupendra Reddy (JD-S).

The Valley has been placed under a security lockdown since August 5 when Article 370 was abrogated and Jammu and Kashmir was split into two Union Territories. — with IANS