The Hindu : BJP criticises Musharraf statement

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Wednesday, Jul 02, 2003

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BJP criticises Musharraf statement

By Our Special Correspondent

NEW DELHI JULY 1. The Bharatiya Janata Party today took strong exception to remarks reportedly made by the Pakistan President, Pervez Musharraf, equating Tibet with Kashmir and asking India ``to show the same flexibility in the case of Kashmir as it did on Tibet.''

The party's chief whip and parliamentary party spokesperson, Vijay Kumar Malhotra, said Gen. Musharraf had made a ``vain attempt to fool the international community by drawing a non-existent parallel between Kashmir and Tibet. The contrast between the two situations was as stark as between day and night.''

He said that all Indian Governments from the time of Nehru had maintained that Tibet was an autonomous region of the People's Republic of China, and this was ``restated'' by the Prime Minister in the joint India-China declaration signed during his visit to China.

Jammu and Kashmir has always been an integral part of India. Pakistan has been trying to take Kashmir by force and for this it waged three wars against India. There was ``no question'' of India showing any ``flexibility'' on Kashmir. ``The only question is to get back the part of the State that is in illegal occupation of Pakistan,'' Mr. Malhotra said, echoing the sentiments expressed recently by the RSS chief, K.S. Sudershan, in Jammu when he had said there was nothing for India to give on Kashmir and therefore there could be no give and take.

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