Venkaiah Naidu slams Chidambaram over Kashmir comments

NEW DELHI: Information and Broadcasting Minister M Venkaiah Naidu today criticised former Home Minister P Chidambaram over his comments on Kashmir and sought to know the Congress' stand on the issue.

"He knows about the fragile situation in Kashmir as he has also served as the Home Minister of the country. It is wrong to make such statements and is not in the best interest of the country. We condemn this statement," Naidu said.

"We want to ask Congress Party what is their stand on Kashmir?" he asked.

At an event in Hyderabad yesterday, Chidambaram had reportedly answered a question about Jammu and Kashmir, saying he felt the situation there was grim, and that a series of mistakes were made which were "almost too late" to correct now.

He had also criticised recent controversial comments of Army Chief General Bipin Rawat that anyone interfering with security operations will be treated as anti-national.

"That's, I think, thoughtless, intemperate words," the former Union Home Minister said, remarks which did not go down well with Naidu.

"I mean, is it wrong what he (Rawat) said against the terrorists? And are the terrorists right?" Naidu asked.