The Hindu : Trifurcation demand irresponsible: Mufti

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Wednesday, Jul 03, 2002

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Trifurcation demand irresponsible: Mufti

By Our Staff Reporter

JAMMU JULY 2. The former Union Minister, Mufti Mohammad Sayeed, has condemned the VHP and the RSS for demanding the trifurcation of Jammu and Kashmir. Addressing a press conference here today he said, "these irresponsible demands should be condemned and all attempts to divide the State should be resisted. When there is every possibility of restoration of peace in the State, raising such demands sends a wrong message to the people of the State as well as the international community."

According to him, the RSS-VHP demand is not in the interests of the State. Describing the RSS as the backbone of the BJP, he said, the latter should clarify its stand on the issue.

Asking the Prime Minister to come up with a comprehensive package for the State he said, "now that the tension at the borders is considerably reduced, the process of bringing peace should be given a push''.

Buddhists welcome demand

Meanwhile, the president of the Ladakh Buddhist Association, Tsering Samphel, has welcomed the demand for giving union territory status to Ladakh.

The trifurcation of the State was the only viable solution as there were linguistic and ethnic dissimilarities between the people of Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh regions.

Reorganising the State was not extra-constitutional, he argued.

The Jammu Mukhti Morcha, an organisation spearheading the statehood demand for Jammu, said in a press release that the move would meet the aspirations of all the communities.

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Trifurcation demand irresponsible: Mufti