‘Most peaceful festive season in Valley’
Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, Dec 4: The Central Government today rejected claims by a National Conference member in Lok Sabha about the situation in Kashmir, saying the region witnessed one of the most peaceful festive seasons in decades and that restrictions on mobile internet services have helped check militancy.
Participating in the debate on Demands for Grants, Hasnain Masoodi, National Conference MP from Anantnag Parliamentary constituency said political leaders have been put under house arrest and internet shutdown is creating problems for students, entrepreneurs and professionals.
After a brief exchange of words between the opposition and the treasury benches on the situation in the Valley, Union Minister of State in the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO), Dr Jitendra Singh, who also happened to be the Lok Sabha member from Udhampur-Doda seat, intervened saying the region has remained by and large peaceful following the scrapping of special status of Jammu and Kashmir.
On the issue of detention of leaders, including Dr Farooq Abdullah, the National Conference president, he said Sheikh Abdullah was arrested by the Congress and sent 2,000 kilometers away in Kodaikanal (Tamil Nadu).
But presently Dr Farooq Abdullah is staying in his house, he said while asserting that Amit Shah “is the most kind hearted Home Minister”.
Dr Jitendra Singh said the area has seen one of the most peaceful festive seasons in the last 20-30 years. “You have seen the videos of how the Sunday market is crowded,” he added.
He asserted that all festivals in Jammu and Kashmir post August 5 when special Constitutional provisions were scrapped and the State was bifurcated into two Union Territories of J&K and Ladakh, have been celebrated in a peaceful manner.
Referring to internet shutdown, the Minister said it has helped security forces liquidate the militants and contain militancy.
Citing arrest of militants in Lakhanpur, the gateway to Jammu and Kashmir, in Kathua district and killing of three militants at Batote in Ramban district on Jammu-Srinagar National Highway, Dr Jitendra Singh said the militants were trapped as they couldn’t find a way out of the cordon in view of lack of internet services.
Dr Jitendra Singh charged the National Conference and other Kashmir-centric political parties with misusing special Constitutional provisions to suit their own interests.
“While Sheikh Abdullah’s birth anniversary was declared holiday, the similar demands for declaration of the death anniversary of Dr Shyama Prasad Mukherjee, who had died in Kashmir and birth anniversary of Maharaja Hari Singh as holidays, were ignored,” the Union Minister said.
Similarly, he said, when term of the Legislative Assemblies was raised from 5 years to 6 years by the then Congress Government, Jammu and Kashmir immediately followed the suit but when it was again reduced to five years by the then Janata Party Government, J&K didn’t change the term.
Hasnain Masoodi demanded that people be allowed to offer prayers at the grave of Sheikh Abdullah on his birth anniversary on Thursday.
Earlier, during the course of the debate, B Mahtab (BJD) said that normalcy in Jammu and Kashmir does not end with Farooq Abdullah and political leaders.
Normalcy will be restored once the Kashmiri Pandits, who were driven out of the Valley, return to their homes, he said, adding they too deserve justice.
Senior Congress leader Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury urged Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla to lead a delegation of MPs from all parties to Kashmir to assess the situation there.
Speaking in the Lower House, Chowdhury said it is important that MPs be allowed to visit the Valley.
“I urge you, Lok Sabha Speaker Sir, that a delegation of MPs from all parties led by you should visit Kashmir to assess the situation there,” Chowdhury said.
He made the request when National Conference MP Hasnain Masoodi was raising the issue of detention of his party’s leader and Parliamentarian Dr Farooq Abdullah.
Follow our WhatsApp channel
