Daijiworld Media Network - Bengaluru (SP)

Bengaluru, Aug 7: Speaking to media persons on Tuesday August 6, former Prime Minister, H D Deve Gowda, refused to say anything about the steps taken by the union government as regards Jammu and Kashmir.

"I do not wish to say anything about the withdrawal of article 370 of Indian Constitution. I do not want to harm our party, the JD(S) with comments which may be misleading," he stated.

JD(S) national president Deve Gowda, recalled that he had visited the above state a number of times for initiating development projects. "I had given preference to developing the state without giving rise to any skirmishes. I had also spoken about this initiative in the parliament," he explained.

Noting that home minister Amit Shah, has announced his intention to turn the state into Clean Kashmir and the country into Clean India, he said that this lays bare the minister's belief that he would be there for five years. "Let us see what they will do," he said.

Deve Gowda said that former chief minister H D Kumaraswamy, would be undertaking tour of north Karnataka which is reeling under floods. "I have asked him to undertake aerial survey. If I visit these places, I will not be able to speak about the situation in the assembly. Therefore I chose to send him instead," he explained.