NEW DELHI: Indian Premier V.P. Singh ruled out a plebiscite in Kashmir and said all issues had to be resolved bilaterally with Pakistan and within the spirit of the Shimla agreement.
Addressing a crowded press conference here, Singh said “plebiscite is out of context” and all issues have to solve through bilateral dialogue.
He said “the U.S. has shown greater appreciation of this stand of ours.”
Referring to the recent crisis in the Janata Dal one of the constituents of the National Front government, Singh said the Front government had emerged stronger from the recent political crisis and had dispelled the fear of any more crises in the future, The crisis had shown his government’s capability for political management, he added.
Premier Singh said the National Front government had given the country a national character and the victory at the elections had dispelled doubts about its credibility. His government had also succeeded in strengthening democratic institutions in the country.
Despite being a minority government, it had been able to bring four constitutional amendments and thereby brought “issue based politics to the fore,” he said.
Article extracted from this publication >> July 27, 1990
