Cong condemns govt's 'stubborn' behaviour on Kashmir talks

The Congress today condemned the "stubborn" behaviour of the Narendra Modi government of not holding talks with stakeholders in Jammu and Kashmir to help normalise the situation there.

Senior Congress spokesperson Ghulam Nabi Azad welcomed the Supreme Court's observation that government should hold talks to resolve the situation in Jammu and Kashmir.

"The government is adopting a stubborn attitude with regard to holding talks," he told reporters.

"I welcome the suggestion of the Supreme Court chief justice's and two other judges for holding talks. I also condemn the government's stubborn attitude," he said.

Azad claimed that the BJP lured the people of the state by giving them false hopes and making promises to the effect that they will resolve all pending issues from the last 70 years.

"The reality is that the BJP wants to muzzle the people of Jammu and Kashmir only with bullets and guns and is not interested in holding any talks," he alleged.

The government had yesterday told the apex court that it was ready to talk to recognised political parties in the state to resolve the crisis there but not with the separatists.