NEW DELHI:
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi express his disapproval on Tuesday of remarks by Chief Minister Mufti Mohammad Sayeed of Jammu and Kashmir, in which the latter gave credit to Pakistan, Kashmiri leaders/militants for successful assembly elections in the state.
“If somebody makes such a statement, we can never support it,” he said in Rajya Sabha, referring to the remarks made by Mr Sayeed who is heading a PDP-BJP coalition government in the state.
Modi claimed that credit for the successful elections went to the people of Jammu and Kashmir who removed doubts in the international community by turning up in large numbers, and put their stamp of approval ‘on what India had been saying all along’.
On questions put by some members whether BJP would pull out of the coalition government over the issue, Mr Modi said the government would run only on the basis of common minimum programme.
“I want to assure this house and 125 crore people of the country that the government formed in Jammu and Kashmir is based on the common minimum programme and the government will run on its basis,” he said while replying to the motion of thanks to the president’s address.
For his part, Mr Sayeed defended his remarks. “What I have said, I have said. Will stand by that,” he said and blamed the media for making mountain out of a molehill.