Chidambaram asks Advani to read Omar speech first

Home Minister P Chidambaram on Monday backed Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah saying Bharatiya Janata Party leader L K Advani had attacked the CM without getting the "real context" of the remarks made by him on the issue of the state's accession to India.

"Advani has to read the entire text of the speech made by Omar Abdullah in the state assembly. Then he would know the real context in which Abdullah made those remarks," Chidambaram told reporters in response to a question on the demand for Abdullah's resignation made by Advani.

Advani had slammed Abdullah for his statement that the state has not merged with India but acceded to it and had demanded his resignation saying he is "out of tune with the national mood".

Abdullah had recently said in the assembly that the state had only acceded and not merged with the Union of India and could not be compared to Junagarh and Hyderabad.

When asked whether the Congress in Tamil Nadu would seek a share in power with the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam in case the alliance wins the assembly polls due next year, Chidambaram said, "This is not the time to discuss the issue."

On some nationalised banks reportedly refusing to provide education loans, Chidambaram said there were some black sheep in the sector and the media should expose them.

"The government has already extended loans to more than 20 lakh students," he said.

Chidambaram was in Wellington, Tamil Nadu, to hold talks with army officials at the Madras Regiment Centre.