Chidambaram's views on Kashmir are his personal: Congress

NEW DELHI: Congress today sought to distance itself from the remarks of former Union Minister P Chidambaram on Kashmir, saying the views expressed by him are his personal.

"I think it is his personal view," Congress Spokesperson Sushmita Dev said at the AICC briefing.

Dev initially refrained from commenting on Chidambaram's remarks saying Kashmir is burning and is a "sensitive issue" and there should be a responsible reaction from her party.

"I would check with the party rather than giving a knee-jerk reaction," she said earlier. Dev reacted only after Chidambaram's comments were read out to her.

Proposing a radical solution to the situation in Kashmir, Chidambaram who is a senior Congress leader and former Home Minister advocated restoring the "grand bargain" under which Kashmir had acceded to India by granting a large degree of autonomy, warning that otherwise the country will have to pay a "heavy price".

"I think their approach is wrong. We have ignored the grand bargain under which Kashmir acceded to India. I think we broke faith, we broke promises and as a result we have paid a heavy price," he had said yesterday.