Kashmir problem centred around just 3 valley districts: BJP

New Delhi, May 21

BJP president Amit Shah on Sunday said the problem in Jammu and Kashmir was not widespread but centred around just “three and a half districts” in the Valley.

Addressing an Aaj Tak Editors round-table on Prime Minister Narendra Modi's completion of three years in office, Shah said the BJP government was making every effort to bring peace to the Kashmir Valley, which has been on the boil for the past many weeks.

“The problem in Kashmir is a problem of three and a half districts,” Shah said, apparently referring to two south Kashmir districts and Srinagar where violent anti-government protests have been rampant.

The situation has worsened due to protests by college and school students in Srinagar and southern parts of Kashmir.

Shah said the Kashmir issue was not just six months old but has been lingering on since decades. He blamed the previous Congress government for causing the problem but didn't elaborate.

“(The) Kashmir problem emerged because of the Congress. We (the Modi government) have been taking steps to win hearts (of Kashmiris),” he said.

Shah recalled how Modi reached Kashmir “before the (then) Chief Minister”, Omar Abdullah, reached out to people when a disastrous flood hit the Valley in September 2014.

The BJP chief said the security forces were maintaining strict vigil on the situation in the state and checking cross-border infiltration of militants from Pakistan.

He said the Modi government had “made more efforts to improve relationships with Pakistan than any other government”.

BJP national president Amit Shah had earlier declared in no uncertain terms that “the abrogation of Article 370 is not necessary for a solution to the Kashmir crisis”, a reverse gear to the core issue of the BJP since its Jan Sangh days when it fought for “one flag, one head of the state and one Constitution” for all the states in the union.

Article 370 of the Indian Constitution that grants special status to Jammu and Kashmir is not a hurdle in the country's relationship with the Himalayan state and holding of talks for a solution to the Kashmir crisis.