Click to play videoNew Delhi: In a sign that the separatists' call for an Independant Kashmir is rubbing off on the Valley's political outfits too, National Conference chief Omar Abdullah too has now called for a debate on azadi (freedom) in an exclusive interview with CNN-IBN's Raheel Khurshid.
It's a major departure from his previous stand that autonomy is key to resolving Kashmir's problems. However he also says that the azadi debate must extend to Pakistan controlled areas of Kashmir as well.
Omar has called for a sustained dialogue to solve the crisis sparked off by the Amarnath land row. A few days back he had blamed the Centre for the worsening situation in Jammu and Kashmir and threatened to resign from Parliament if excessive force is used on Kashmiri protestors.
"I could go the whole hog and say Government of India should call Pakistan's bluff and say fine, we are ready to give the people of Jammu and Kashmir the right to decide if you are willing to do the same on your side of Kashmir and not just your side of Kashmir as it exists now, but as it existed in 1947. That is an idealistic, out of the ballpark solution. It ranges from there right down to the simplistic one, which is that we need to talk. There is nothing that cannot be achieved by talking to each other," he said,
Meanwhile, the Kashmir Valley is again on high alert as the Hurriyat Conference is holding another pro-freedom rally on Friday.
The rally will be held at the Idgah grounds in Srinagar after the Friday prayers. This is the third pro-freedom rally called by the Hurriyat over the past one week.
The rally comes even as the separatists have hinted that they are ready for talks with the Government. It is learnt that back channels have started reaching out to the Hurriyat moderates led by Mirwaiz.
According to sources, a Kashmir Committee led by Ram Jethmalani would be arriving in Srinagar on Saturday for talks.
Protests meanwhile, have taken an ugly turn in Jammu. Government ration trucks were looted and vehicles were burnt after a statement from New Delhi allegedly equated the Amarnath Sangharsh Samiti with the Hurriyat Conference.
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