NEW DELHI : Congress today hit out at BJP for the large-scale violence in Jammu and Kashmir and said it is the “backlash” against the RSS agenda being “imposed” there.
“What is happening in Jammu and Kashmir is unfortunate. BJP should own direct responsibility for all this as BJP cannot run away from its responsibility as it is in government there.
“This is a big backlash against the agenda of RSS that is being imposed there. BJP should admit that it exerted pressure on the regional party to form the government in the state by saying otherwise it won’t give funds. BJP will have to own up its responsibility for what is happening in Jammu and Kashmir,” senior Congress leader Ghulam Nabi Azad said.
He said that “it is terrible the way police has been “let loose” on the youth and the elderly, in which 1,500 people have been injured and more than two dozen people have died”.
Azad said it is understandable that government initiates some steps to control the law and order situation but it is a “very serious issue” when people are being killed in dozens.
The Congress leader, a former chief minister of the state, said Jammu and Kashmir is a sensitive area and is “religiously sensitive, politically sensitive and geographically sensitive, being a border area”.
He said “imposition” of RSS ideology in Jammu and Kashmir is having a “backlash” and that is why the law and order situation is getting out of control there.
On Pakistan’s support to separatists and attack on India for using force on protesters in Kashmir, Azad said “I condemn Pakistan. Pakistan is fishing in troubled water.”
Azad said BJP should take “responsibility” for the killing of over two dozen people and injury to 1500 people.
“BJP should own direct responsibility for all this, as BJP cannot run away from its responsibility. BJP is in government in Jammu and Kashmir and has its deputy chief minister and Ministers. Law and order is a state subject and BJP is a party in the state administration,” he said.
The Congress leader, who is Leader of Opposition in Rajya Sabha, said he had said in Parliament in the presence of Prime Minister when talks about forming a government with PDP were going on with BJP, that Jammu and Kashmir is a very sensitive area and “You are forming a government in Jammu and Kashmir to impose your philosophy there and not for bringing any change there.”
Asked about violence having taken place in the state earlier too when it was ruled by Congress and National Conference, he said it was there but not like what is happening now when there was violence spread across the state.
“This type of violence is spread across in different parts of the state for three, four days. It is not that some people have died in one firing. In different parts of the state, there is violence and there are hundreds of bullet injuries and serious cases,” he said.
Azad said it is “compounding” now and is “brewing” further.
To a question on whether the issue will be raised in the Monsoon session of Parliament, he said the issues will be decided soon.
Asked if Congress would soften its stand on GST and if the bill would be passed in this session, he said, “Government has also given a proposal for resolving pending issues. We will decide. There is still time for the Parliament session. We will put forth our views and hold discussions with government sitting across the table.” (AGENCIES)
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