NEW DELHI: In the wake of the controversy generated by Congress MP Saifuddin Soz’s reported comments on Kashmir, party leaders stayed away from the release of his book with P Chidambaram skipping his scheduled presence in a panel discussion. The no-show by Congress leaders triggered sarcastic jibes that the party had got scared of attacks by the BJP, which had latched on to Soz’s alleged remarks about Kashmiris “preferring” independence just as former Pakistani president
Pervez Musharraf had suggested.
Barring former Union minister Jairam Ramesh and Pravin Davar, no Congress face was visible at the event. Last week, Soz was quoted as having said Kashmiris would prefer independence — a remark that so rattled Congress that it dubbed the comments as “cheap gimmick” to sell the book. While Soz had invited his party colleagues to the function, word apparently went out from Congress that members should distance themselves from the function.
As the boycott was conspicuous, Soz clarified at the outset the book and its contents were his idea, and had nothing to do with “my party Congress”. But former BJP leader
Arun Shourie, a panelist who discussed the book, shot a jibe, “Why Congress people… you got so scared of what Amit Shah said.”
Shah had targeted Congress over Soz’s comments in Jammu last week, saying the remarks were “endorsed” by
Lashkar-e-Taiba chief Hafiz Saeed. Soz himself questioned the BJP chief. “Amit Shah said we will retain Kashmir despite Soz. Did Soz call for azadi? I said it was not possible,” he said.
Soz, who spoke extensively about the persisting Kashmir dispute, dwelt on history he said he had gathered from his personal sources in the form of leaders of the past. He looked to toe the middle line, saying Kashmir’s secession from India was not possible and that a vigorous debate between the Union of India and Kashmir was required for permanent peace.
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