'Unconditional talks' don't mean any compromise on J&K's Indian status: Gujral

Prime Minister Inder Kumar Gujral on Monday made it clear there would not be any compromise on India's stand that Jammu and Kashmir was an integral part of the country.

The troubled state, as it existed before 1947, would continue to be a part of India, he said.

The clarification was made in the Lok Sabha after some members claimed Gujral's July 26 statement was contradictory and confusing.

Gujral said his appeal was not to the militants across the border, but to the misguided youth who are ''our own children gone astray'. Many such youngsters have already come back, he said.

Addressing the Bharatiya Janata Party leaders, he said he would not allow the country to be broken in the name of religion. When Opposition leader Atal Bihari Vajpayee protested against this statement, Gujral asked him to clarify who demolished the Babri Masjid.

Former prime minister Chandra Shekhar said Gujral should respond to the recent objectionable statements from abroad on how the country should be run.

The prime minister replied the government would strongly react to objectional statements whether coming from inside or abroad.

The debate started during zero hour when the BJP's Jaswant Singh demanded clarification about Gujral's statement that he was ready for unconditional talks with Jammu and Kashmir militants.

Singh alleged the prime minister's statement on the Nagaland situation too was contradictory.

Vajpayee, the Shiv Sena's Madhukar Sarpotdar and the Bahujan Samaj Party's Ilias Ami said Gujral's Saturday statement was confusing and asked for clarification.

Chandra Shekhar said one foreign country had earlier tried to interfere with India's economic policy and it was trying for political interference now. A foreign ambassador had gone to Jammu and Kashmir and started advising the government on steps to be taken there, he said.

CPI-M veteran Somnath Chatterjee welcomed the prime minister's efforts to bring normalcy in the state. But he too asked Gujral to clarify his statements.

Congressman Sharad Pawar shared this view and said any effort to normalise relations with Pakistan would be welcome.

Pawar's partyman Mangat Ram Sharma said militancy had aggravated in three districts of the state. He said the promised economic package for J&K had not come so far.

UNI