‘Govt was mute spectator to KPs’ exodus’
Army doesn’t need more than 10-12 days to defeat Pak
Sanjeev Pargal
JAMMU, Jan 28: Prime Minister Narendra Modi today declared that the day is not far when separatism and terrorism will be defeated completely in Jammu and Kashmir saying the Government is moving forward to limit it and not only J&K but the entire country is witnessing new dawn of peace even as he charged the previous Governments with being mute spectator when lakhs of people (a reference towards Kashmiri Pandits) were evicted from their homes in the Valley.
Addressing National Cadet Corps (NCC) rally in New Delhi, Modi said that nothing was done in the last 70 years to solve the problems of Kashmir and the 3-4 families that ruled Kashmir for seven decades did not work towards solving these problems but nurtured them.
Reference to 3-4 families which ruled Jammu and Kashmir was obvious towards Abdullahs and Muftis. Sheikh Abdullah, Dr Farooq Abdullah and Omar Abdullah besides Mufti Mohammad Sayeed and Mehbooba Mufti had remained the Chief Ministers of the erstwhile State of J&K for quite a long time.
He said Kashmir is crown of India and to pull it out of turmoil is our responsibility.
“Earlier, what was done for solving problems in Kashmir? Three-four families worked not towards solving the issues but nurturing them. The result was that thousands of innocents died due to terrorism, large number of Army jawans were martyred. The result of misrule in the Valley led to terrorism and in one night, millions had to leave their houses and were forced out,’’ he said.
“The Government was made to stand as a mute spectator as lakhs of people were evicted from their homes in Kashmir,’’ he said referring to the migration of Kashmiri Pandits in 1990.
Modi said it was not only Jammu and Kashmir but the entire country is witnessing dawn of peace as the Government is fighting terrorism and separatism by limiting it and the day is not far when it will be finished completely.
“India is moving ahead with a young approach and carried out surgical and airstrikes to fight back terrorism,’’ he asserted.
Modi said terrorism, terror attacks and blasts were treated as law and order problem and because of this policy (of the previous Government), blasts took place, people got killed and blood spilled on the roads but then Governments did nothing except for issuing statements.
“And when our security forces called for action, they were denied permission. Today the country is moving forward and it carries out surgical and airstrikes whenever required,’’ he added.
Without naming Pakistan, the Prime Minister recalled that the neighbour lost three wars with us. “Our Armed forces don’t need more than 10-12 days to defeat them. They have been fighting proxy wars against India since decades, which have claimed thousands of lives of civilians and led to martyrdom of number of soldiers’’.
Referring to abrogation of Article 370 of the Constitution of India, granting special status to the erstwhile State of Jammu and Kashmir, on August 5, Modi said the Article was implemented in Jammu and Kashmir as a temporary provision but continued for decades as no one showed enough courage to abrogate it and just for vested interests and vote-banks, the politicians didn’t solve this issue for a long time.
“Could we hand our youth a country that had a problem of terrorism? Absolutely not. Kashmir is our pride and freeing it from problems was our responsibility and we delivered,’’ Modi said in an apparent reference toward scrapping of special Constitutional provisions of Jammu and Kashmir and bifurcating the erstwhile State into two Union Territories of J&K and Ladakh last August.
PTI adds: Prime Minister Narendra Modi today said his Government brought in the Citizenship (Amendment) Act to correct “historical” injustices and recalled the Nehru-Liaquat pact to assert that the law fulfills India’s “old promise” to religious minorities in neighbouring countries.
Attacking Opposition parties over their stand on the CAA, the Prime Minister said India had assured minorities in Pakistan and Afghanistan when it got Independence that they could come to the country if needed.
“This was Gandhiji’s wish and also the intention behind the Nehru-Liaquat pact,” Modi said.
The pact signed in 1950 between then Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru and his Pakistan counterpart Liaquat Ali Khan was aimed at allowing refugees to return to dispose of their property, return abducted women and looted property and unrecognized forced conversions.
“It is India’s responsibility to give refuge to those people who have been oppressed due to their faith. These people have faced historical injustice… and to stop this and fulfill our old promise, we have brought the CAA,” Modi said.
According to the amended citizenship law, members of the Hindu, Sikh, Buddhist, Jain, Parsi and Christian communities who have come from Pakistan, Bangladesh and Afghanistan till December 31, 2014 and facing religious persecution there will not be treated as illegal immigrants but given Indian citizenship. The law leaves out Muslims.
“Our Government brought in CAA to give citizenship to such people but some political parties are in competition to do vote bank politics. For whose interest are they working? Why can’t they see atrocities faced by these people in Pakistan? There are many Dalits (among those who have been oppressed). These people have been oppressed…” Modi said.
Modi said a sanitation job advertisement by Pakistani army stated it was only open to non-Muslims, implying it was for Dalits.
He also referred to the Enemy Property Act and said those opposing this legislation are also against the CAA.
After partition, those who left India for Pakistan could still lay claim to their properties. The Enemy Property Act 2016 allows transfer of enemy property from the enemy to other persons.
Listing the achievements of the Government, the Prime Minister referred to the Bodo agreement, triple talaq and the abrogation of provisions of Section 370 in Jammu and Kashmir.
He also termed “historic” the pact signed by the Centre with insurgent group National Democratic Front of Bodoland (NDFB) and two other outfits.
Modi said his Government has taken a series of steps for the northeast region of the country and is holding talks with all stakeholders with an open heart.
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