Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday attacked the Congress, accusing it of “shamelessly” taking a U-turn on Kashmir by calling for greater autonomy, and “using the language of the separatists and Pakistan”.

He was responding to senior Congress leader and former Union minister P Chidambaram saying a day earlier that “when they ask for azadi, most people – I am not saying all – an overwhelming majority want autonomy. Therefore, I think we should seriously examine that question”.

“Those in power until yesterday have suddenly taken a U-turn and are shamelessly raising their voice for autonomy in Kashmir. Those doing politics over the lives of martyrs cannot be expected to develop India. They have no shame in doing this. The Congress must give an answer for this… Congress shamelessly uses the language of the separatists in Kashmir and the language used in Pakistan,” the PM was quoted as saying by The Indian Express while addressing BJP workers in Bengaluru.

The PM insisted that his government would not compromise with the country’s unity and integrity and said he now knew “why they (Congress) did not support our surgical strikes”.

Without naming Chidambaram – whose words the Congress distanced itself from – the PM said: “I’m surprised that those who were in power at the Centre, those who were responsible for the country’s internal security and national security (are saying this)”.

Last year too, Chidambaram had said India should restore the “grand bargain” under which Kashmir had acceded by granting a large degree of autonomy to the state. On Sunday, after the BJP’s attack, he reportedly said the party should have fully read his comments on autonomy for Kashmir before criticising him.