Jethmalani embarasses BJP, supports Kashmir interlocutors

New Delhi, Oct 26 (PTI) In an embarrassment to BJP, its
Rajya Sabha member Ram Jethmalani Tuesday differed from the
party line and backed J and K interlocutors, calling as
"childish and churlish" its accusations that the panel was
internationalising the Kashmir issue.
But the BJP quickly distanced itself from the eminent
lawyer's views, saying it does not "subscribe" to the remarks.
"Jethmalani is Jethmalani. He has his own opinion. The
party does not subscribe to it...We have already expressed our
official line." BJP spokesperson Prakash Javadekar said.
Unfazed by his party disassociating with his views, the
former Union law Minister stood by his remarks and said "I am
not bound by anything which every BJP member says.
"My views are absolutely in consonance with national
interest," the controversial lawyer-turned politician said
tonight reacting to him being ticked off by Javadekar.
Toeing a line diametrically opposed to that of his
party, Jethmalani saw nothing wrong in the remarks of Dileep
Padgaonkar, heading the three-member team, that there is a
Pakistan "dimension" to the Kashmir problem.
"It is childish and churlish to attack them as
internationalising the issue. Prime Minister Atal Bihari
Vajpayee by his confabulations with President Pervez Musharraf
and recently Foreign Minister S M Krishna confabulating with
his counterpart Mr (Shah Mehmood) Qureshi were exactly doing
that," Jethmalani said.
"Dialogue with Pakistan is a compulsory legacy of the
Simla Agreement of 1972. We cannot wish it out of existence,"
he added.
Stating that Padgaonkar and his team's task of finding
a "peaceful and lasting solution" to the Kashmir problem is
"almost superhuman", Jethmalani said he "fervently" prayed for
their success, despite having "serious misgivings".
"Even if they achieve partial result the nation would
owe them a debt of gratitude. Neither by acts nor by words we
should add to their difficulties," he said.
BJP had accused Padgaonkar of internationalising the
Kashmir problem after he said a solution to the issue was not
possible without involving Pakistan.
Jethmalani maintained that Pakistan was the "root of
the problem" as it was sending infiltrators and terrorists to
India who were working on its directions.
"Even then if you say you won't talk to Pakistan it is
not realistic," he said.
When informed that BJP does not agree with his views,
Jethmalani said one should "leave aside BJP".
"BJP has not done much thinking on this issue...We
should not pay much attention to it (what BJP has said)....You
join a political party because you have less disagreements
with that party than any other. If you agree 100 per cent you
cease to be a human being," Jethmalani said.
The Rajya Sabha MP from Rajasthan insisted that though
party discipline is important this did not mean that a person
become a "robot, mortgage his humanism and have no right to
speak".