Menon further said that even after an all-party meeting and a visit by all-party delegation has not normalised the situation in the Kashmir Valley. “It is Jammu, Kashmir and Ladakh that make the state”, Manhas said as the upper house discussed the situation amid a bloody unrest in the valley. Speaking in Rajya Sabha Singh said, he has no hesitation in saying that whatever is happening in Kashmir is sponsored by Pakistan.
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“Nobody in the world can take Kashmir from us”.
“During communications with Ali, Alpha-3 (a communication centre in Pakistan-occupied-Kashmir) told that the LeT cadres had been successful in fuelling large-scale agitation in Kashmir after Eid subsequent to the death of Burhan Wani. The House is of the firm and considered view that while there can not be any compromise on national security, it is equally an imperative that urgent steps are taken to restore order and peace for the alleviation of the sufferings of the people”.
At least 55 people have been killed – a lot of them in police firing – following the street unrest in Kashmir to protest against the killing of Hizbul Mujahideen commander Burhan Wani by security forces last month.
“The House conveys its deep sense of anguish and concern over the loss of lives and critical injuries caused by the deteriorating situation”.
To a pointed question from leader of the opposition Ghulam Nabi Azad, if the government is thinking to hand over Kashmir to the army after completion of Amarnath Yatra, Rajnath said “it will never happen”. “If you invite the national political parties with their representatives belonging to other parts of the country who do not have any notion about Kashmir then it would not serve the goal”, said Singh. But integral part should not be on paper only. “You are asking for too much if you expect (J&K CM) Mehbooba Mufti to tackle it alone”, Azad reminded the political underpinnings of the challenge. The meeting would be atteneded by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. It is good to show sympathy with all.
“Kashmir is an inseparable part of India”. Politics comes first, economics second, employment after that. Singh told the house the Jammu and Kashmir government is doing its best to provide basic facilities amidst the violence created by some vested interests and misguided elements.
MPs from other parties joined the chorus and asked the government to stop using pellet guns against Kashmiri protesters.
“After I came back from Kashmir, I formed an expert committee and asked them to give me a report in two months as to what other options we have regarding non-lethal weapons”.
Responding to questions by some members as to why the Prime Minister had spoken outside and not in Parliament, Singh said he “has made me the Home Minister and I have rights”.
Janata Dal-United leader Sharad Yadav stressed on a political initiative to win the trust of the people of the state.
The barbs instead have been reserved for the Prime Minister whom the Opposition accused of bypassing the Parliament and choosing to speak instead at a place and time of his choice. Modi says that we all love Kashmir, but this I would say is one-sided. “We will have to initiate a dialogue process with the people of Kashmir so that not just Kashmir but Kashmiris are ours”, he added. We all should jointly take out a solution for this.
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On Tuesday, PM 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. “Once the ground work is done, then we will talk to the Chief Minister that if the delegation has to go, whom all to meet there”, he said.
