Modi, his ministers "exacerbated" Kashmir crisis: Chidambaram

New Delhi, Aug 17 (PTI) Accusing Prime Minister NarendraModi and his top ministerial colleagues of "exacerbating" thecrisis in Jammu and Kashmir, Congress leader P Chidambaramtoday said the state was "sliding into total chaos" and askedthe ruling PDP to join hands with the opposition to find a wayto end the violence. "I am concerned that situation in Jammu and Kashmir issliding into total chaos. The PDP-BJP government is squarelyresponsible for the sharp deterioration in the last 6 weeks. "The statements of the Prime Minister, Home Minister andDefence Minister have exacerbated the crisis. Moderation inwords and actions alone can retrieve the situation," he said. Chidambaram, during whose tenure as Home Minister severalconfidence building measures, including reducing the presenceof security forces in the Valley were initiated, surprisinglyextended a welcoming hand to BJP’s coalition partner in thetroubled state PDP to join forces with the opposition to finda solution to the unrest there. "The Congress, National Conference and, if willing, thePDP must come together to find a solution: firstly, animmediate solution to stop the violence and, then, a pathforward that will bring hope, peace and prosperity to thepeople of Jammu and Kashmir," he said in a statement. The Congress, however, described Chidambaram’s statementas his "personal and individual view". "A person is free to write and speak, so long as he isexpressing a personal opinion – a hope, a wish, a desire andnot going against any established party opinion," he said. "Today, he has expressed his opinion. We have also saidthat unless we have the mandate, we have not meddled inKashmir affairs. Tomorrow, we will have the mandate, whoknows, we will go and rule Kashmir and we will show a betterruling than you are showing today," party spokesman AbhishekSinghvi told reporters at an AICC briefing. While talking about the disconnect between the two rulingcoalition partners in Jammu and Kashmir, Singhvi said," Wecan’t have a coalition which does not talk to each other. Whensomething happens, the BJP locally attacks it (PDP), thecentral government attacks it and then they go and sleeptogether in a coalition government. "Therefore, that is the real issue today. Tomorrow whathappens is not for us to say. There is no such talk, there isno such policy, there is no such election. Somebody hasexpressed a hope and that is his personal view," he said. MorePTI ACB SKC SKL SKSK