Monday, February 13 2006 17:14 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

Srinagar: Defending its demand for autonomy for Jammu and Kashmir, opposition National Conference (NC) today (Feb 13 2006) said it was playing its part 'unanbiguously' towards the integration of the country by demanding autonomy.

"Anything short of 'azadi' sums up in to restoration of autonomy to the state and by dismissing the slogan of self rule, the NC has been playing its part unambiguously towards integration of the country," a spokesman of the party said.

Reacting to the statement of former minister and senior Congress leader G A Mir that NC was issueless, the NC spokesman said Mir was ignorant of the state politics and its political history.

Mir, in an interview to a local daily, had said that NC has no issue to rake up and autonomy was a political slogan of the party.

"NC has been punished at several occasions for demanding the restoration of autonomy to the state and its debacle in 2002 Assembly elections was, nonetheless, a conspiracy hatched at the behest of its enemies," the spokesman claimed and instead asked Mir to bring in as a Congress legislator, a bill in the assembly for restoration of autonomy.

Accusing Congress of eroding the autonomy of the state, the spokesman said Mir is still on the side of forces out for dismantling the remains of autonomy edifice.