‘Even PoK people will say J&K is ideal place to live’
Rahul made invite an unending business
Sanjeev Pargal
JAMMU, Aug 26: In a significant statement, Governor Satya Pal Malik said today the Government will protect identity, culture, jobs and land of the people of Jammu and Kashmir and won’t allow any loss to them even as he maintained that the Government will work so much for the people of Kashmir that the inhabitants of even Pakistan occupied Kashmir (PoK) will start saying that this part of Kashmir (J&K) is ideal place to live.
“We will protect their (the people of Jammu and Kashmir) identity, land, culture and jobs. We won’t allow their loss on these accounts,’’ he told a news agency.
“We have abrogated Articles 370 and 35-A and you will see in the coming days, we will work so much for the residents of Kashmir and create such circumstances that people of Pakistan occupied Kashmir (PoK) will start saying that this part of Kashmir (J&K) is the ideal place to live,’’ the Governor said.
Maintaining that situation was returning to normalcy, Malik said that representatives of one and a half dozen channels visited Kashmir and there was consensus among them that situation is slowly returning to normal.
“We too are not rushing. Our emphasis is that there shouldn’t be a single casualty. During previous crisis including one in the tenure of Ghulam Nabi Azad, there were 30 to 40 or even 50 casualties during first 10 or 15 days. I won’t say that we will restore normalcy in one day but lives of Kashmiri people are important for us,’’ he asserted.
Malik also took potshots at former Congress president and Lok Sabha member Rahul Gandhi saying he has made his invitation to visit Kashmir “an unending business’’.
“I had said if you don’t believe us then come and visit (the Valley). Later, he said I will meet people under house arrest, will meet Army. I said I can’t accept these conditions and leave it to administration,’’ he said.
Malik further said that the administration categorically told the Congress leader that his visit would disrupt peace and also that his “utterances” would be misused by Pakistan.
“Exactly the same happened. Whatever he said after returning from Srinagar was misused by (Pakistan Prime Minister) Imran Khan and Pakistani media…this is an issue of national interest, he should not behave in such manner and help in restoring normalcy,” said the Governor.
Malik also backed Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) supremo Mayawati, who earlier on Monday, targeted the Opposition leaders over their visit to Jammu and Kashmir, saying what she has said is “historically correct”.
On Sunday, Gandhi had tweeted how he got a first-hand experience of “brute force” unleashed on the people of Jammu and Kashmir when he tried visiting Srinagar with a delegation of opposition leaders on Saturday.
The Governor also came down heavily on Congress leader in Lok Sabha, Adhir Ranjan Choudhary saying: “What he (Choudhary) said in Parliament, he buried his party in the grave. What do I say on his knowledge? I’m doing my work with utmost devotions. I don’t care about these allegations,’’ he said.
He was responding to Choudhary’s statement that the Governor of Jammu & Kashmir should be made the BJP president for J&K because his behaviour as well as his statements are more like that of a BJP leader.
In an official statement issued here, Malik said “I want to make it clear that when I had invited Rahul Gandhi to visit Jammu and Kashmir, my intention was that he will refrain from making baseless statements about Kashmir by having the first hand appraisal of the situation.
However, Rahul Gandhi played politics with my invitation and he arrived here along with a host of opposition leaders. Besides, he also said that he will meet all the detained leaders and interact with media persons.”
Malik said when Rahul played such kind of politics with my invitation he withdrew his invitation.
“And it was now prerogative of the administration to decide whether Rahul Gandhi should visit Kashmir or not. The Administration made it clear beforehand that at a time when we are making all out efforts to maintain peace in the Valley no politician should come to make a breach, rather help in maintaining peace,” he added.
The Governor said Rahul Gandhi should understand that the visit would have created problems for the people.
“Rahul Gandhi tried to create obstacles in the peace process. When he was not allowed to do so, Rahul on his return to New Delhi made false statements about the situation in Kashmir.”
“I want to tell Rahul Gandhi that such statements made by him are being used by Pakistan against India. He should understand that the situation in Jammu and Kashmir is fragile and it is the issue of national interest. His statements harm the national interest.”
I want to urge him that he should keep national interest as top priority rather than using the sensitive issue for his cheap politics,” Malik said.
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