Date:07/11/2002 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2002/11/07/stories/2002110705760100.htm

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Not for unilateral ceasefire: Azad

By Luv Puri

Jammu Nov. 6. The Jammu and Kashmir Pradesh Congress Committee chief, Ghulam Nabi Azad, said today that his party was against a ``unilateral ceasefire'' in the month of Ramadan as similar steps in the past had not brought down violence or provided a solution to the armed conflict in the State.

Mr. Azad told reporters outside the Shahidi Chowk headquarters of the party here that, "any ceasefire had to be responded to positively by the other side but in the past the other side (militants) had not done so". Emphasising that the Congress would provide all possible help for bringing peace in the violence-torn State, he said the Congress supported all the moves of the Central Government. It fully backed the moves of the BJP-led NDA Government when it went in for a unilateral ceasefire thrice. Yet, peace eluded the State. ``And everyone should rest assured that the Congress will never compromise on the State or its borders,'' he added.

Addressing a public rally outside the party headquarters, Mr. Azad said, " the next Cabinet expansion will provide representation to all the groups and no section of society should feel ignored". Brushing aside reports that the Congress was not satisfied with the Cabinet portfolios allotted to it, he said the principal task was to serve the people of the State ``who have reposed faith in us''. Calling upon his legislators to work for the betterment of the people, he said the people had suffered a lot and the time had come when ``we produce results and satisfy them''. The Common Minimum Programme (CMP) would be the guiding force for the new Government.

Everyone had to give his or her best for the larger interests of the country as well as the State and ``we should not disappoint the people for our vested interests".

The Deputy Chief Minister, Mangat Ram Sharma, addressing the rally said the State Government would act upon the CMP to provide equal opportunities to all the three regions of the State.