*Steps afoot but can’t be disclosed publicly
Sanjeev Pargal
JAMMU, May 15: BJP president Amit Shah and Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh said today that people of the country should have faith in Prime Minister Narendra Modi and security forces and finally India will prevail in Kashmir though they declined to share what steps the Government was taking to restore peace and normalcy in the troubled Valley.
Speaking at India TV’s Conclave, the top leaders of the ruling BJP and Central Government dropped enough indications that the Government was on the job and it would deliver results on Kashmir solution before the people in due course of time, albeit not very shortly. Rajnath Singh went on to say that the people, who are matured enough will understand the Government strategy but made it clear that it can’t be disclosed publicly.
“Have faith in security forces and Prime Minister Narendra Modi. India will prevail in Kashmir,” Shah declared and said India was not taking lightly the killing of Army officer Lt Ummer Fayaaz in the Kashmir valley though he maintained that many a times such incidents have happened earlier also.
Amit Shah said the surgical strikes on Pakistan have showed political will of Prime Minister (Narendra Modi) and strength of Army that they can do anything and return successfully after executing the task.
“We are trying to control terrorism in Kashmir. It’s (the protests in the Valley) are in reaction to that. We are working on twin fronts on Kashmir. First is the diplomatic level and second the security agencies are doing their job,” the BJP president, who had recently visited Jammu for three days, said.
Maintaining that recent disturbances in the Kashmir valley were nothing new, Amit Shah asserted that many a times since 1989, such a situation has emerged for five to six months.
“It has happened earlier also. But all the times, the Government of India has prevailed. Again, we will succeed,” he declared.
Rajnath Singh said the restoration of normalcy in Kashmir is a challenge for the Centre which the BJP Government has accepted.
“We have accepted the challenge and we will win. I can’t tell here what we or doing or what we will do. Yes, it’s a fact that the people want to know immediately what we are doing or what we intend to do. But I can’t say all that here. The matured people will understand.
“The Kashmir problem will be solved. We are not going to leave any problem unresolved, Have faith on us. Results will be before the people,” the Union Home Minister, who has been very closely monitoring the situation and guiding operations and strategy of the Government on Kashmir situation, said.
Rajnath Singh said when a Home Minister of the country says something, the people must believe and have faith. “Entire world knows that there is a powerful Government in place in the country,” he added. He was responding to a question that some of the people have started believing that Kashmir will slip out of the hands.
Again dropping enough hints that a strategy was in place, the Union Home Minister said the surgical strikes against Pakistan had also taken the time. “It’s not that nothing is happening. We will not allow the head of countrymen to hang in shame. The pain of the people won’t be for long. Those who speak more, don’t act,” he said assuring the countrymen regarding action against Pakistan and restoration of normalcy in Kashmir.
To a question that people were not ready to believe what is happening in Kashmir especially when a leader like Modi is the Prime Minister and Rajnath Singh as Home Minister, Singh said: “just give us time. People have given 62 or 64 years to Congress. We will give solution to the Kashmir problem. We are not going to leave any problem unresolved. A complete solution will emerge. You can take it from me”.
Rajnath declared that Kashmir was, is and will always remain an integral part of India.
“And when we say Kashmir is out integral part that also means that the people of Kashmir are our brothers. We don’t want to use unnecessary force on the people. Whatever force is required, the security forces will decide,” he said, adding mere stone pelting at two-three places didn’t mean that entire Kashmir is disturbed.
“It will be injustice to say that entire Kashmir is disturbed or all Kashmiris are stone pelters. The problem is confined to very few places. There are many nationalists people in the Valley. We will take all of them along,” the Home Minister said.
He said it would be wrong to say that the Government is doing nothing in Kashmir.
“Militants are being given a befitting reply. The incidents of militancy and infiltration have come down. The figures are clear indication,” he said, adding that Kashmir is not a problem of two, four or 10 years but it was there since 1947. He called upon the media not to exaggerate the situation and don’t highlight one or two incidents of stone pelting by linking them to entire Kashmir.
Replying to a question on Pakistan, Rajnath said the Prime Minister his Pakistani counterpart Nawaz Sharief to his oath ceremony. “Then, the Prime Minister visited Lahore. But they (the Pakistan) didn’t improve. What can we do”? he asked. He said terrorism has virtually become state policy of Pakistan.
Replying to a question on beheading of two Indian soldiers by Pakistani troops earlier this month, Singh said that people in the Government also feel the pain of the countrymen.
“There is pain in our hearts, but we will not allow that pain to continue for a long time,” he added.
When asked whether the army should again cross the border and retaliate against the terrorists, Singh said, “I should not react (to this question). The one who brags too much, never does…We will not announce in advance, we will do it”.
Speaking on the brutal killing of Kashmiri army officer Ummer Fayaz, the Home Minister said whatever happened to him has caused pain to all Indians, including Kashmiris.
Fayaz was a role model for youth in the valley, he added.
Rajnath Singh India shared good relations with China and the incidents of transgressions along Line of Actual Control (LAC) with China have come down considerably.
On delay in release of Rs 80,000 crores worth Prime Minister’s package to Jammu and Kashmir, Rajnath Singh said the day the State Government spends 60 or 70 per cent of Rs 19,000 crores worth funds released so far, “I will release entire remaining amount of the package”.
Rajnath Singh said he led All Party Delegation to Kashmir last year and sent an open invitation to all stakeholders to come and meet them. Even some members of the Delegation went to meet the separatists but the latter shut their doors on them. The Chief Minister too tried her best there was no positive response, he recalled.
He said India wants to take the world on the board in its fight against terrorism.
Meanwhile, Deputy CM Dr Nirmal Singh and human rights activist Shabnam Lone had heated exchanges at India Today’s conclave. Dr Singh told Lone that these were the terrorists who had killed her father Abdul Gani Lone. He said for 700 posts in police, 67,000 Kashmiri youth have applied, which was a clear indication that majority of Kashmiri youth was inclined towards belt force and not stone pelters.
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