Speaking in Rajya Sabha, Home Minister said that whatever is happening in Kashmir is sponsored by Pakistan.
Speaking in Rajya Sabha, Home Minister said that whatever is happening in Kashmir is sponsored by Pakistan.
New Delhi: As Rajya Sabha discussed Kashmir unrest on Wednesday, Rajnath Singh said the protests in the Valley are Pakistan sponsored and affirmed that no power in the world can wrest Jammu and Kashmir from India.
“I have no hesitation in saying that whatever is happening in Kashmir is sponsored by Pakistan. If there will be talks with Pakistan, there won't be a discussion on Kashmir but on Pakistan Occupied Kashmir (PoK),” says Rajnath Singh.
“Some Lashkar terrorists are trying to threaten our security personnel and their families in Kashmir,” Singh added.
“Today's debate is an example of healthy democracy. We are making efforts to ensure normalcy is restored in the Valley,” he said.
The Home Minister informed the House that 100 ambulances were destroyed by stone-pelting yet 400 more ambulances have been deployed.
On the use of pellet guns on protestors, Singh said this is not the first time, pellet guns have also been used earlier. “We are not trying to justify the use of pellet guns but we need to discuss the possibility of using other non-lethal weapons. We have a committee and we hope to find an alternative in 2 months,” says Singh.
The minister assured that state government is trying its best to provide basic facilities amidst the situation of unrest created by some misguided elements with vested interest.
He also informed that over 4,500 security personnel and 3,300 civilians have been injured in Jammu and Kashmir during protests and forces have been directed to exercise restraint as much as possible.
An all-party meeting is to be held on Kashmir issue on August 12, the day monsoon session ends and Prime Minister Narendra Modi will attend it, said Rajnath Singh.
Rajnath ended his address saying all religions and communities are respected and he urged people not raise slogans against the nation. 'Insaniyat, Jamooriyat, Kashmiriyat' and dialogue is the way forward, said Rajnath.
Earlier in the day, Leader of Opposition and Congress leader, Ghulam Nabi Azad had hit out at Prime Minister Narendra Modi for failing to make any statement in the Parliament on the ongoing Kashmir unrest.
-"Prime Minister Modi tweets on events across the world, but he was silent on Kashmir crisis. When something happens in Africa, the Prime Minister tweets about it. But when the Taj of India is burning, the heat is not reaching the central government,-" Azad said.
“We did not hear Prime Minister's statement on Dalit issues here in the Parliament. We got to hear about his views from Telangana. We have been repetitively demanding that the PM should come and make statements on such issues,” Azad added.
He also attacked Modi for quoting former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee in Madhya Pradesh, when he touched upon the topic of Kashmir. -"Vajpayee's words do not suit Prime Minister Modi,-" said Azad on Modi's assertion that his government believes in Vajpayee’s mantra of ‘Insaniyat, Jamhooriyat and Kashmiriyat’.
The Congress leader said that an All Party Delegation needs to be formed to be sent to J&K and that it should be announced in the Parliament. -"Everyone in Kashmir is a victim of militancy. Many of us have lost their near and dear ones due to this militancy in Kashmir. There is a difference between communalism and separatism,-" Azad added.
Azad said that law and order is not the sole responsibility of Kashmir police but that paramilitary forces are also involved in the matter. -"You call J&K an integral part of India, but there needs to be integration of the heart. Between people of India & J&K,-" Azad said.
Referring to Modi's comment that all Indians love Kashmir, the Congress leader said, -"One should not love Kashmir for its beauty and nature alone. One should love people out there as well.-"
-"Love the people who live there. Love the children who lost their vision due to pellet injuries...,-" he said while insisting on a political solution.
Talking about the 33-day-old unrest, Azad said things are not flowing from democracy but through the barrel of -"guns, pellet guns-". He said there has been curfew for the last 33 days and thousands of people including civilians and security forces have been injured in the violence.
The problem in Kashmir is not a -"normal law and order issue-" like in any other state, Azad said, while underlining that the Centre should come forward to help the state as it is dependent on New Delhi for everything, including security, development and even salaries.
While talking about the continuing problem of Kashmir, he said a lot needs to be done to strengthen the relationship between the Centre and the state.
He wondered what happened to reports of various committees, including one headed by late Justice Shabir Ahmed, which made several recommendations for strengthening the integration. -"The report was submitted in 2009-10. Still nothing has been done,-" he said.
On Tuesday, Modi had reached out to the people of Kashmir and indicated his willingness to hold dialogue under the framework of the 'Insaniyat (humanity), Jamhuriyat (democracy) and Kashmiriyat'.
He said that when Atal Bihari Vajpayee was the prime minister, he had adopted the path of 'Insaniyat, Jamhuriyat and Kashmiriyat' and the present government walks the same road.
