Srinagar, Sept 19: Lashing out at the National Conference for using autonomy issue only as an election ploy, Congress president Sonia Gandhi today favoured holding of unconditional talks with people of Jammu and Kashmir to bring about peace in the militancy-torn state. Addressing her first election rally in the state, she said the only condition her party would impose was that there should be no division of the state.
She alleged that the BJP and RSS, by demanding division of the state, were supporting Pakistan`s desire in this regard.

"Pakistan also wants trifurcation of the state and BJP too wants the same. What can one understand from this," Gandhi asked.
Pakistan should understand that it cannot weaken the ties of the state with the rest of the country through infiltration and by spreading terrorism, said Gandhi, who was accompanied by party general secretary Ambika Soni and JKPCC chief Ghulam Nabi Azad.

"Raising the autonomy issue at the time of elections is just an election stunt indulged in by the state`s ruling party," she said.

The Congress chief said the Kashmir issue could be resolved only through unconditional talks with the representatives of the all three regions of the state.
"But there is one condition ... That is there would be no division of the state," she added.

Bureau Report