Talking about temples, mosques will waste our time: Ex-Navy Chief

New Delhi: China is moving ahead in areas like artificial intelligence and robotics and it would be waste of time if India distracts itself by talking about temples and mosques, former Navy chief Arun Prakash said.

Prakash, however, expressed hope that abrogation of Article 370 would bring peace and help foster integration and economic development in the Kashmir Valley.

According to News18 report, he said, “For our whole existence as an independent nation, we have seen and suffered from these fissures — linguistic, religious, caste etc. These conflicts have continued throughout our independent existence.”

"What we need to do is to try and tamp them rather than to exploit them... China is talking about artificial intelligence, robotics and machine learning and all that. And if we are going to talk about temples and mosques and so on, then obviously we are going to waste time," he added.

Talking about recent situation in Jammu and Kashmir, he said, "One hopes that the recent abrogation of Article 370 and the changes in the status of erstwhile J&K (Jammu and Kashmir) will bring peace and help foster integration and economic development."

Earlier this week, the government revoked provisions of Article 370 of the Constitution, withdrawing special status to Jammu and Kashmir, and split the state into two Union Territories — Jammu and Kashmir, and Ladakh.