New Delhi: Congress leader Jyotiraditya Scindia on Wednesday found himself at the centre of a controversy after he made remarks on deteriorated law and order situation in Kashmir following July 8 killing of Hizbul militant Burhan Wani.
Initiating a discussion in the Lok Sabha on Kashmir situation, the Congress leader said that there should be "rai shumari (plebiscite)" in Kashmir but later explained that he meant dialogue, not referendum.
"In Kashmir today, there is a need for plebiscite," he said while describing Kashmir as ‘an important part of the heart of every Indian’.
While attacking the Centre and state government, he said, “PDP-BJP government has shed all the principles. Administration is divided and the government, which should support people, is using weapons against them.”
"There is a need to create an environment of peace and tranquility; growth and development. But today that crown is being insulted. This I feel is irresponsible," he added.
When he was quizzed about his speech outside the Parliament, the leader sought to clear the air saying, “I have never said there should be plebiscite. I have said there should be dialogue.”
He said the UPA government had created an environment of peace and harmony by taking everybody along.
‘We broke our promises made to Kashmiris’
Earlier, proposing a radical solution to the situation in Kashmir, senior Congress leader and former home minister P Chidambaram advocated restoring the "grand bargain" under which Kashmir had acceded to India by granting a large degree of autonomy, warning that otherwise the country will have to pay a "heavy price".
"I think their approach is wrong. We have ignored the grand bargain under which Kashmir acceded to India. I think we broke faith, we broke promises and as a result we have paid a heavy price," he said.
He said the best solution, according to him, was that New Delhi should give an assurance to the people of Kashmir that the "grand bargain" promised during the time of Kashmir's accession "will be honoured fully".
Chidambaram said the situation in Kashmir has been mishandled by successive governments in Srinagar and New Delhi.
"We (UPA government) did mishandle. But we corrected ourselves in 2010. Now, both the governments in Delhi and Srinagar mishandled (it) very, very badly," he said.
Asserting that Kashmir "required a unique political solution", Chidambaram blamed the ruling PDP-BJP alliance for the present crisis saying they (alliance) should have never come to power.
"The alliance itself is a grave provocation for the valley. It is a legitimate government. They have the numbers. The legitimacy of the government has not taken away the fact that these two partners forming government has given a sense of fear among people of Kashmir," he said.
Kashmir has been gripped by a wave of violence for since July 8, following the killing of Hizbul militant Burhan Wani. So far 45 people have died including two cops in large-scale violence across the Valley.
