Kashmir integral part, Prashant Bhushan too: Anna Hazare

New Delhi: Terming his team member Prashant Bhushan’s views on Kashmir as “wrong”, Anna Hazare said Kashmir is an integral part of India.

Reiterating Hazare’s view that the senior advocate’s remarks on Kashmir were his own, Team Anna cleared said Bhushan is an “integral” and “inseparable” part of their group.

They also hinted at possibility of a deeper “conspiracy” behind attack on Bhushan on Wednesday which was followed by bashing of their supporters outside a Delhi court on Thursday. They said it needs to be probed in detail and these actions could be to divide their team and affect the Lokpal movement.

“Today our core committee met and we discussed several issues including our member Prashant Bhushan’s remark on Kashmir. He is an inseparable and integral part of our team. However, his views on Kashmir are his personal views,” team Anna member Arvind Kejriwal said.

Kejriwal said through Anna Hazarewas not present in  the meeting physically, they were talking to him on phone constantly.

Asked about their view on whole issue including Kashmir, Kejriwal read a statement which said: “IAC stands for unity and integrity of India. We believe Kashmir is an integral part of India. Kashmir is a complex problem and should be solved through peaceful means and dialogue within the four walls of our constitution.”

A controversy over Bhushan’s continuance in the team broke out when Anna while talking to mediapersons in Ralegan Siddhi said Bhushan’s remarks were his own and the team doesn’t agree with it. “Woh aage jaake hum log tay karenge, rakhna (hai) nahi rakhna (We will decide later whether he will be in the team),” Hazare told reporters. Kejriwal said the confusion started because during this interaction some one asked him if Bhushan would be removed from the team.

Modi's fast fuels politics in J&K: Omar slams Mufti for denying Sushma's remarks

New Delhi: Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi’s three-day Sadbhavna fast courted another controversy - this time in Jammu and Kashmir - on Tuesday after Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) president Mehbooba Mufti denied making any such comments as  claimed by BJP leader Sushma Swaraj that she said anything about the Gujarat chief minister's in New Delhi.

Later, Jammu and Kashmir Omar Abdullah slammed Mehbooba Mufti after the latter reportedly denied saying anything about Narendra Modi at a meeting in New Delhi.

Mufti said: “Sushma Swaraj is lying. I never made such a statement praising the Gujarat Chief Minister ever. Sushma Swaraj’s claims that I praised Modi are totally baseless.”

“It is unfortunate that the BJP leader has chosen to misquote me for varied reasons. I never met her and never made such statement,” she further added while talking to reporters in Srinagar.

However, BJP leader Sushma Swaraj on Tuesday claimed that she was not lying while quoting Mehbooba Mufti on the last day of Modi's fast in Ahmedabad.

Sushma tweeted: "I only quoted what she spoke in the presence of over a hundred people in the afternoon session of the NIC meeting on sept 10."

"It was not a private conversation. I correctly quoted Ms. Mehbooba Mufti in Ahmedabad yesterday," She further added. 

On the other hand, Omar Abdullah said on Twitter: "I'm not surprised Mehbooba praised Modi, she can praise who ever she likes; I am surprised she'd deny it knowing others heard her speech."

"Why can't she just admit what she said rather than deny the whole thing. So much more graceful to accept rather than call Ms Swaraj a liar, he wrote on Twitter.

"At least her father had the sense not to deny calling Laloo, as Home Minister, to order Advani's release, he just did what Ostriches do," he added later.

"I have never denied being a part of the NDA Ms Mufti but I've also said it was a mistake I regret  and will never repeat nor let my party repeat," he also said.

Speaking in support of Modi on the final day of his fast in Ahmedabad, Ms Swaraj had said that at a recent meeting of the National Integration Council, Mehbooba Mufti said that a Muslim friend of hers wanted to invest in Gujarat and was astonished to be quickly granted an appointment, and that when he did meet Mr Modi, had a decision in half an hour."

She also added, "You can accuse an Advani or a Sushma of bias when they praise Modi. But this was Mehbooba Mufti."

Before Modi broke the fast, Swaraj in her speech said that not just BJP leaders and party workers, but even political adversaries have praised the Gujarat Chief Minister.

"Not just BJP supporters, even rivals like PDP's Mehbooba Mufti has praised Narendra Modi's work ethics in front of everyone at a NIC meeting. This makes us proud," said Swaraj.

There is no discrimination in Gujarat against Muslims, Swaraj said.

"Gujarat is a state where there is no discrimination against Muslims. No plan is made thinking whether Hindus will benefit or Muslims," she said on the sidelines of Modi's three-day fast.