As Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh arrived in Jammu and Kashmir capital Srinagar to hold talks with politicians and civil society for finding solution to present crisis in the Valley, a youth was killed in fresh firing by forces in Pulwama district.
Advertisement
Nearly all the political delegations that met Home Minister Rajnath Singh conveyed to him their serious concerns over the disproportionate use of force in “crowd control” policing, contradictory statements of the Delhi leadership over the initiation of a political dialogue in Kashmir and the occupation of schools by forces in Srinagar and other parts of Kashmir valley.
This is the second visit of the Union Home Minister to the Kashmir in last one month.
Jaitley also blamed Pakistan for not just training and funding terrorists but also for instigating the youth in Kashmir Valley.”I want to appeal to the youth of this country who have strayed on wrong path, that they should leave the wrong path as they will otherwise be a loser in the end”, he said.
“I shall interact will civil society groups, political parties and other stakeholders”, he wrote on Twitter.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday told Jammu and Kashmir opposition parties that a dialogue was “a must” for bringing about an end to the weeks-long unrest in the valley but any solution to the problem has to be “within the Constitution” of India.
According to an official release, Modi expressed his deep concern and pain at the prevailing situation in the state.
Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha, Mallikarjun Kharge, said the Home Minister should talk to the people of Kashmir during his two-day visit so that normalcy and peace is restored in the state. “Time and again such situations do arise but if we are unable to find a political solution to it, we will be repeating our mistakes again and again”, Omar told reporters after the meeting. “The government needs to restore confidence of Kashmiris and be sensitive to their needs and sentiments”, Siddiqui said.
A 17-member delegation of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), the senior partner in the ruling alliance with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), led by its general secretary Mohammed Sartaj Madni, nd a 13-member BJP delegation led by it state president Sat Sharma also met Mr. Singh, separately.
He is also expected to meet Governor N.N. Vohra, Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti and her cabinet colleagues.
The delegation warned that the continuing law and orderproblem and unrest in the state will only further alienate the people.
The Supreme Court on Monday agreed with the stand of the central government over unrest in Jammu and Kashmir, saying the issue can not be dealt with by the courts.
Hundreds of the injured have partially or fully lost their eyesight after being hit by pellet guns – a risky mob control weapons used in Kashmir.
Advertisement
Asked about the Centre’s position on Pakistan-occupied- Kashmir, Omar said, “This question should be put to the PMO or Ministry of External Affairs”.
