NEW DELHI: A controversy erupted today over AAP leader Prashant Bhushan’s comments on deployment of army in Jammu and Kashmir which were slammed by parties across the political divide even as his party attempted to control damage.
Aam Aadmi Party Convenor and Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal distanced himself from Bhushan’s remarks, saying the deployment of army within the country should be decided on the basis of internal security threat.
Bhushan had said that deployment of military in Jammu and Kashmir should be undertaken with the consent of people of the state.
The remarks were flayed by parties like BJP and Congress. Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah also said there was no need for a referendum on such issues.
“Such ill-advised ideas must always be rejected outrightly. They can only disturb India’s security environment and a disturbed environment disturbs politics, it disturbs sovereignity and it disturbs economy,” BJP leader Arun Jaitley said.
Hitting out at AAP, he said it was “regrettable” that a party with national ambitions was adopting a position similar to that of Pakistan and the separatists hostile to India’s interests.
Asserting that issues of national security cannot be decided by populism or referendum, he hoped that sensible elements in AAP will seek to reverse this “soft” stand, otherwise “the slope downwards will be faster than the movement upwards”.
Congress leader Ambika Soni also hit out at Bhushan saying such issues have “repercussions and fallouts which you can’t imagine”.
She expressed surprise at the “flippant manner” in which Bhushan voiced his views pertaining to the sensitive state.
Abdullah said, “Reduction of the footprint of security forces & phased revocation of AFSPA doesn’t need a referendum, just a courageous statesman to decide. Overnments get a mandate to govern & decide, they don’t need to conduct a referendum before every tricky decision. Leaders must lead.” (AGENCIES)
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