Return of BSF jawan will improve Indo-Pak ties: CM

Excelsior Correspondent

JAMMU, Aug 9: Chief Minister Omar Abdullah said today that release of the Border Security Force (BSF) jawan Satyasheel Yadav by Pakistan unharmed yesterday would go a long way in narrowing down differences between India and Pakistan.
“We are glad that the BSF jawan has been handed over to India by Pakistan unharmed yesterday. Otherwise, the relations between India and Pakistan would have been adversely affected,” Omar told reporters on sidelines of the passing out parade of police cadets at Sher-i-Kashmir Police Academy (SKPA), Udhampur this morning.
He hoped that unharmed and immediate release of the BSF jawan would narrow down differences between India and Pakistan, which were in the interest of both countries as well as Jammu and Kashmir.
Yadav was handed over to the BSF yesterday at Suchetgarh sector of Jammu after spending nearly 53 hours in Pakistan custody.
Omar criticised the media for “triggering controversy” to make news on the issue recent row involving PHE Chief Engineer Ahmad Muzaffar Lankar and CAPD and Transport Minister Mohammad Ramzan saying the media has presented one side of the controversy and not the other that the issue was resolved within 24 hours.
“You (the media persons) look at things from one side. You highlighted that the Engineer (Lankar) submitted his resignation — I have no problem with that. But another fact is that the issue was resolved within 24 hours and the Engineer resumed his duty but this positive aspect is no news,” Omar regretted.
“When things go right, they deserve to be highlighted also. Unlike you guys I don’t believe in noise. You had been happier if this controversy continued but unfortunately it is not my job to make news for you. My job is to run the administration smoothly”, said Omar.
Ruling out resignation of Choudhary Mohammad Ramzan from the Cabinet on the issue of alleged abuses hurled on the Chief Engineer, Omar insisted that this issue was now a “closed chapter”.
Omar applauded AICC (I) vice president Rahul Gandhi for his aggressive posture in the Parliament and described this “political transformation of Rahul” as a good sign for Congress insisting that he is the force who has to bind the Congressmen together in these difficult times.
” Rahul has always been one who has been keen to speak. The problem in the last 10 years was that it was his party’s Government at the Centre and that if he had spoken his mind, he ran the risk of being misunderstood and therefore rightly so he kept his counsel to himself. Today he is in the opposition and surely Rahul is the force that has to bind the Congress in these difficult times.
“I am glad that he has spoken out in the Parliament and he will continue to do so in the days to come,” Omar said and praised the “aggressive” posture of Rahul.
On August 6, the Congress general secretary had stormed the Well in Lok Sabha raking up the issue of “rising” communal violence and questioned the impartiality of Speaker Sumitra Mahajan.
A reticent Rahul entered the Well for the first time in over 10 years to join his party members in pressing for an adjournment motion to discuss the incidents of communal violence, a demand opposed by the Government.

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