Mr. P. Chidambaram, India’s former Home Minister courted controversy yesterday, yet again, by making a misplaced statement with regards to Kashmir. He said : “My interactions in J&K led me to the conclusion that when they asked for ‘azadi’, most people want autonomy”.
My interactions in J&K led me to the conclusion that when they ask for ‘Azadi’, most people want autonomy: P Chidambaram in Rajkot #Gujarat pic.twitter.com/bpiXZixgC4
— ANI (@ANI) October 28, 2017
This is not the fist time Mr. Chidambaram has made such statements that might hamper national security. On 21st July 2016, Mr. Chidambaram had advocated restoring the “grand bargain” under which Kashmir had acceded to India by granting a ‘large degree of autonomy”.
More recently. Mr. Chidambaram had also stated that “India is losing Kashmir”. This statement was picked up by Pakistan and it’s media and was used as a stick to beat India with. Atleast they tried :
His statement yesterday was slammed by BJP and its top brass ministers including Mr. Arun Jaitley and Ms. Smriti Irani.
Congress is deceiving the country, itself & encouraging separatism in J&K. It is hurting India’s national interest: Jaitley on P Chidambaram pic.twitter.com/2SFZcRQEZg
— ANI (@ANI) October 28, 2017
While Mr. Arun Jaitley asked Congress to desist from encouraging separatism in Jammu and Kashmir, Smriti Irani took a more aggressive stand and said it was no surprise that Mr. Chidambaram was making such “shocking and disgusting” statements speaking about breaking the Union of India and encouraging the very people that murdered our Security Forces, considering even Rahul Gandhi is known to have supported people who raised “Bharat tere tukde honge” slogans. She asserted that Chidambaram reflects the Congress mentality.
(cntd) & supports those who actually murdered our security forces just so that they can play havoc with law & order situation in J&K:S Irani pic.twitter.com/iQYbtwO4Jw
— ANI (@ANI) October 28, 2017
Rahul Gandhi is known to have supported those people who had given the statement ‘Bharat Tere Tukde honge’ in JNU crisis: Smriti Irani pic.twitter.com/H8gp9zaWDb
— ANI (@ANI) October 28, 2017
While BJP is attacking Congress with guns blazing against their Anti National statements, Congress sought to distance itself from Mr. P Chidambaram’s statements saying it was his ‘personal opinion’.
It would seem like Congress is trying to play the classic good cop, bad cop with it’s ministers and functionaries making anti national statements while the party itself distances itself from such controversies. While Mr. Rahul Gandhi himself indulged people sloganeering “Bharat tere tukde honge”, it was reported that Mr. Scindia had once said there should be a plebiscite in Kashmir.
While the party distances itself from such statements, and functionaries scramble to clarify, it would seem like Congress has developed quite the ‘foot in the mouth’ syndrome. However, this syndrome can cost dearly when it comes to national security.
