Union Minister Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi on Monday hit out at senior Congress leader P Chidambaram for his remark on Armed Forces Special Powers Act (AFSPA) saying the statute was imposed during the Congress regime.
"It was the Congress government which imposed the Act taking into account the growing militancy in the Valley and Chidambaram was very much there, holding pivotal position in the central government," he told PTI.
The Minister of State for Parliamentary and Minority Affairs alleged that the Kashmir Valley became a "safe haven for anti-India forces supported by Pakistan" during the Congress rule.
"Do we need to remind a former minister, deemed as an extremely intelligent leader, that during Congress rule when Pakistan-based intruders attacked Kashmir and occupied a portion of former Maharaja's state, it was the then government which handed over the dispute to UN and accepted plebiscite.
"You create the problem and when your successors take measures to find out the solution, you demand modifications just to avail political benefits," he claimed.
Chidambaram had recently termed AFSPA as an "obnoxious law", and said it had no place in a modern and civilised country. The BJP leader also hit out at senior Congress leader Salman Khurshid asking him to observe the performance of the Narendra Modi Government with open heart, open mind and open eyes instead of giving a year's time for assessment.
"There is too much to observe and assess including Jan Dhan Yojna, cleanliness scheme, market determined diesel prices free from administrative control, launching of war against black money and corruption, among others." Khurshid had yesterday said that it was too early to review the shortcomings of the Modi government and it should be given at least six months to a year's time to perform.
The union minister also asked Congress leaders to realise and recognise the fast changing moods of the country and refrain from adopting a "destructive" role.
Talking about the role of madrassas, he said, "It will be advantageous for minority community members enrolled in madrassas to link their educational system with the national current by keeping human values intact besides learning religious lessons.
"Government is sincerely committed to pour in maximum help in said establishments," he said. On the issue of black money, Naqvi said that foreign countries have come forward to co-operate with the Centre.
He also hit out at the Uttar Pradesh government in view of the escalating crime rate in the state.
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