Describing the situation on the border with Pakistan as serious, Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee asserted in Srinagar on Thursday, India would meet the challenge and hoped that there would be no war.
The situation is serious. It is a challenging situation. We will meet the challenge, He said at a 30-minute press conference before winding up his three-day visit to Jammu and Kashmir.
The Prime Minister refused to spell out India`s strategy saying that such matters could not be discussed in public.
Asked about his statement at Kupwara on Wednesday that the time had come for a decisive battle against cross-border terrorism, Vajpayee said, I have nothing more to add. Whatever I said publicly is all that I want to say.
The Prime Minister responded to a wide variety of questions including the demand of the ruling National Conference for greater autonomy to the state, a dialogue with the separatist Hurriyat Conference and economic package to the state.
He expressed the Centre`s willingness to talk to the Hurriyat Conference but recalled that when invited for discussions by the Centre`s interlocutor K C Pant it had not responded. I am prepared to meet Hurriyat, he said but made it abundantly clear that there was no question of acceding to the conglomerate`s demand to include Pakistan in the talks.
On the demand for autonomy, which had been instantly rejected by the Centre earlier, the Prime Minister said he was willing to have discussions on this question. he had asked the state`s chief minister Farooq Abdullah as to whether any constitutional provision came in the way of fulfilling the aspirations of the people of Jammu and Kashmir. Bureau Report