Congress cautious as government shifts J&K position

NEW DELHI: The Congress leadership is extremely cautious in firming up responses to Prime Minister Narendra Modi-piloted policy on Kashmir and Pakistan. Many of its leadership see a 'paradigm shift' in the Centre's policy. Though the Congress leadership is uneasy and unsure and feels compelled to play safe as it tries to read the response of the public to the government's power play.

The Congress leadership privately disagrees with the way the PM and his government have dealt with the current crisis in Kashmir and its 'mind game' with Islamabad. Yet, it is forced to strike a politically-correct posture as the BJP leadership subtly whips up an aggressive domestic political plank with a heavy dose of nationalism. This with the UP and Punjab polls round the corner.

It explains why the AICC did not waste time in rejecting former external affairs minister Salman Khurshid's criticism of Modi's comment on Balochistan and rushed to recycle former PM Manmohan Singh's comments about human rights violations in the Pakistan province.

The Congress party is also monitoring whether Modi's speak on Balochistan is designed to win tactical backing of global powers that have strategic interest in the region. The party's spokespersons are also shying away from forthrightly stating the need for the Centre to engage with the Hurriyat leaders, wary of being painted as 'soft on anti-India elements'.

A senior Congress leader summed up the reasons for the party's cautious stand: "First of all, we don't know what exactly this government is up to given the various position it strikes and changing tones of the PM and senior ministers. We also know Hurriyat leaders count for nothing without Pakistan. That is why both Vajpayee and Manmohan Singh chose to hold talks with Hurriyat leaders when India was officially engaged with Pakistan. But after the way the PM spoke about Balochistan and PoK, it is clear that the government is not keen on a productive engagement with Islamabad and, thus, Hurriyat. So, we don't want to make unilateral suggestions that could be misused."

The AICC also has no plans to go gaga over former home minister P Chidambaram's suggestion that Congress, National Conference and PDP should join hands to address the issue. Party leaders familiar with the political play in Jammu and Kashmir and the pivotal role the Centre traditionally has in it feel such realignments are easier said than done.