Srinagar, July 20: CPI today rejected the Centre's stand that its emissary would hold talks only on devolution of greater powers to Jammu and Kashmir and not on autonomy, saying that autonomy is the real issue for the state. "Devolution of greater powers is an issue with all the states and is 20-year-old. For Jammu and Kashmir the issue is autonomy," CPI general secretary A B Bardhan said addressing the 10th conference of the party's state unit here. He was referring to deputy prime minister L K Advani's statement that the Centre's emissary Arun Jaitely would hold talks with political parties only on devolution of greater powers to the state. Demanding that the Centre should reconsider the state assembly's resolution on autonomy, Bardhan said, "How could the Centre reject a resolution of a legislative assembly without even going through it?"
Jammu and Kashmir is an integral part of India but with a special status under the Constitution, he said. Autonomy to the state as enshrined in Article 370 should be restored. He said that the jurisdiction of the Supreme Court and the election commission should stay "as it is in the interests of the people of the state. If the local dispensation is allowed to oversee the elections, they will do whatever they like." Lashing out at RSS and VHP for demanding trifurcation of the state "along communal lines", Bardhan said, "It will only strengthen the case of Pakistan, which is laying its claim on Kashmir on religious grounds. If you divide the state into Hindu Jammu, Buddhist Ladakh and Muslim Kashmir, what will happen to secularism in the country? what will happen to Muslim Kashmir?" Bureau Report