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Vajpayee rules out referendum to decide Kashmir's future

NEW DELHI: Indian Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee on Sunday ruled out the possibility of holding a referendum in the occupied Kashmir to decide its future.

"We do not accept the Muslim majority state argument", the United News of India quoted Vajpayee as saying in the northern town of Jalandhar.

"India has more Muslims than Pakistan's population", the Hindu nationalist prime minister said. "India belongs to all and we will not allow another partition of the country".

Vajpayee said he had also stated this to deposed Pakistan prime minister Nawaz Sharif when they met in Lahore last year.

Vajpayee said New Delhi did not agree to the 1947 British-sponsored partition of the Sub-continent into India and Pakistan on sectarian grounds.

"Muslims are spread all over India though they may be more in (the state of) Jammu and Kashmir". APP