Marumalarchi Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam chief Vaiko denounced the Narendra Modi government's decision to revoke the special status of Jammu and Kashmir and said Kashmir would not be a part of India on the 100th Independence Day.
“Kashmir will not be in India when India will celebrate its 100th year of freedom,” he said.
“They (BJP) have smudged Kashmir in mud,” said the MDMK chief who also blamed the Congress party for the current situation in Kashmir.
“I have attacked Congress 30 per cent and BJP 70 per cent on the Kashmir issue,” he said.
India on August 5 scrapped provisions of Article 370 that gave special status to Jammu and Kashmir, and bifurcated the state into two Union territories—Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh. The government decision drew sharp reaction from the opposition parties who termed it as an assault on democracy.
Vaiko, while speaking in Rajya Sabha, had described the government's move as a “day of sorrow".
"Today is a day of sorrow because we have not kept our promise. When the Pakistani troops entered the terrain of Kashmir, then Maharaja Hari Singh sent an emissary to Jawaharlal Nehru... The Instrument of Accession was signed," he had said.
He had also pointed out that when Kashmiri leader Sheikh Abdullah decided to go with India, he placed one condition—the individuality and originality of the state of J&K would not be compromised.
