Cong distances itself from Chidambaram’s remarks on Kashmir

New Delhi, Aug 17 (PTI) Congress today distanced itselffrom the remarks made by its senior leader P Chidambaram onKashmir, terming them as "personal and individual views" evenas the party highlighted the "contradictions" in the PDP-BJPgovernment in the state. "Obviously, unless any party line is announced, it is hisindividual view. But an individual view is not to be seen theway you are seeing it…Somebody has expressed a hope and thatis his personal view," Congress spokesperson Abhishek Singhvisaid here. At the AICC briefing, he said, "A person is free to writeand speak, so long as he is expressing a personal opinion — ahope, a wish, a desire and not going against any establishedparty opinion." Singhvi said the point is there is no contradiction inwhat the party is saying and what is Chidambaram’s desire andthe real issue is that the arrangement between PDP and BJP forthe last two years is "ridden with contradictions". "Today, he (Chidambaram) has expressed his opinion. Wehave also said that unless we have the mandate, we will notmeddle in Kashmir affairs. Tomorrow, we may have the mandatewho knows, we will go and govern Kashmir and we will showbetter governance than what is there today," he said. Highlighting the "differences" within the ruling PDP-BJPcombine in the state, the Congress leader said, "One cannothave a situation in India where there will be one governmentin Jammu and another government in Kashmir. "We can’t have a coalition which does not talk to eachother. When something happens, BJP locally attacks it, thecentral government attacks it and then they go and sleeptogether in a coalition government," he said. Singhvi said, "Therefore, that is the real issue today.Tomorrow what happens is not for us to say. There is no suchtalk, there is no such policy, there is no such election." PTISKCSC