Pakistan inciting youth via social media, says Rajnath Singh

New Delhi: The government on Friday accused Pakistan of inciting youth in J&K through social media to help holed-up militants by storming encounter sites.

Union home minister Rajnath Singh said in Lok Sabha that the security forces were dealing with terrorism in a way they should and they will surely be successful.

Mr Singh was replying to concerns raised by some members like TMC member Saugata Roy and Congress member K.C. Venugopal following the death of three civilians in Budgam in firing by security forces.

Three civilians were killed while 18 others were injured in security forces’ action against a large number of protesters who pelted stones on the law enforcing personnel allegedly in a vain bid to help the holed up militant escape.

Mr Roy said that he was a member of the all-party delegation which had visited Kashmir earlier and the situation there had again become very grave.

The home minister said that the strife-torn region had seen a “new trend” of late in which youth from nearby villages gather at the sites of encounter bet-ween security forces and terrorists and pelt stones to help the militants holed-up there to flee.

“I will appeal to youth not to be misled by Pakistan. Some social media applications like WhatsApp and Facebook are used to gather youth at places of encounters. These groups are based in Pakistan,” he said.

“Security forces are dealing with terrorists exactly the way they should and will continue to do so. I want to say that we will definitely be successful,” he said, adding Pakistan-sponsored terrorists are trying to destabilise not only Kashmir but entire India.

Mr Venugopal also raised the issue of deaths of civilians in Kashmir. Parliamentary affairs minister Ananth Kumar said that the practice of a minister replying to a Zero Hour discussion would be followed more often now as the government was keen that concerns of members are addressed.