Report on Kashmir silent on most issues: Rajnath

Terming the report of the Centre's interlocutors as "ambiguous", senior Bharatiya Janata Party leader Rajnath Singh on Monday said any solution to the complex Jammu and Kashmir issue lay within the ambit of the Indian Constitution.

"The report of the interlocutors on Kashmir lacks clarity and is ambiguous," the former BJP president told reporters.

"It is silent on most issues. The report talks about misgovernance in the state, but it is mum on why there is misgovernance," he said.

"The Kashmir issue is a complex and multi-dimensional one and any solution to it lies within the ambit of the Indian Constitution," the BJP veteran said.

Rajnath, along with party leaders J P Nadda, Avinash Rai Khanna and Basav Rai Patil, are on a three-day visit to the city in connection with the preparation of a "vision document" by the BJP on Jammu and Kashmir.

The BJP study group will also go to Kashmir on June 1 and meet several delegations there.

"We have so far met 16 delegations and 60 representative organisations. Our doors are always open. We have not sent out any invitation, but I believe whosoever is serious about the Kashmir issue will talk to us," Rajnath said.

Asked whether they would talk to separatist leaders like Syed Ali Shah Geelani, the BJP leader said, "We are going with an open mind and will talk to everyone who is willing to talk to us. We will take into account everyone's aspirations."

"We will prepare our report keeping in mind the interest of the state and the nation as a whole. We will also take cognisance of the interlocutors' report. We should also pay due respect to sentiments of Jammu and Ladakh while resolving the Kashmir issue," Rajnath said.

The Union government should have made the interlocutors' report public while Parliament was in session, he said.

"Ideally they should have made the report public while Parliament was in session to facilitate a healthy debate on its recommendations," the BJP leader said.

The report was silent on various issues pertaining to the state, he said.

"There has been a bias against Jammu and Ladakh regions. Despite having a bigger area than Kashmir, Jammu has got less representation in the assembly. There has been a development imbalance but interlocutors have not said anything on this," Rajnath said.

"The report has mentioned nothing about Kashmiri Pandits and Sikhs who have been forced out of the Valley. It is also silent on prospects of their return and rehabilitation," he said.

Rajnath also voiced concern about the status of West Pakistani refugees in the state.

"There are issues related to West Pakistan refugees, their voting rights, education, their property rights, the report is completely silent on that. The report has also not mentioned anything about the redressal mechanism for looking into grievances of terror victims. It is also silent on the plight of SCs/STs in Jammu and Kashmir," he said.