J&K CM Omar Abdullah (File photo)

SRINAGAR: Jammu and Kashmir CM Omar Abdullah Thursday backed the calls for reopening of dialogue between India and Pakistan, saying that was the only way to ease tensions between the two neighbours. He also questioned why appeals from J&K politicians for engaging with Pakistan led to a backlash when similar statements from RSS top functionaries invited no criticism .Omar’s father and National Conference president Farooq Abdullah is among the 117 signatories — 61 from India and 56 from Pakistan — to an open letter that recently appealed to the Prime Ministers of the two countries to renew talks.Talking to reporters in south Kashmir’s Shopian district, Omar said: “This tension (between India and Pakistan) has existed for the past 30 to 40 years, and after last year’s Pahalgam attack it increased even more. Now, through a letter, a request has been made to the Prime Minister that the relations between the two countries should improve. No one should have any objection to this.”He invoked Atal Bihari Vajpayee, saying the former PM used to say that friends can be changed, but neighbours cannot. “We want relations between neighbours to improve.”Pointing out that even “the biggest leader of RSS” had recently spoken in favour of talks with Pakistan, the chief minister said, “If the RSS says this, no one objects. But, when leaders from Jammu and Kashmir say the same thing, it creates an uproar.” RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat and general secretary Dattatreya Hosabale had recently advocated “keeping the doors of dialogue open”.Reacting to the letter, BJP accused J&K politicians of backing Pakistan’s narrative and asked them to instead urge the country to dismantle its terror infrastructure and sponsorship. Apart from Farooq, PDP chief Mehbooba Mufti, Kashmir’s chief cleric Mirwaiz Umar Farooq and several MLAs have also endorsed, through the letter, the call for talks.