STATE TIMES NEWS
JAMMU: Branding the separatists “stooges of Pakistan,” BJP today said there was no need to hold talks with the Hurriyat leadership which has been working hard to keep the “Kashmir pot boiling.”
“No talks should be held with the separatist leaders like Syed Ali Shah Geelani, Mirwaiz Umar Farooq and Yasin Malik who are not only responsible for the present situation in Kashmir Valley but are acting as stooges of Pakistan to keep Kashmir pot boiling,” BJP state spokesman Virender Gupta said.
He said separatists were working for the benefit of Pakistan and against the interests and integrity of India.
There are a snumber of cases against them for committing murder of army, security personnel and pro-India elements and were instrumental in migration of Kashmiri Pandits and other minority communities. Gupta said these leaders have waged a war against India at the behest of Pakistan and favour Kashmir becoming a part of Pakistan.
He said there was a need to vigorously pursue the pending cases against the separatists as “this is essential to restore normalcy and peace in the Valley.”
“The stakeholders for whom the talks can be held for resolving the issues of Jammu and Kashmir are the people of Jammu region, Kashmir valley, Ladakh region, Kashmiri Pandits, displaced persons of PoK and people of various religious and ethnic groups,” he said.
He said people of Jammu and Ladakh regions have suffered discrimination and political neglect since Jammu and Kashmir acceded to India and the displaced people of PoK need more attention in any negotiation to be held.
“Granting of greater autonomy would harm the national interest and aspirations of the people of Jammu and Ladakh regions as it shall further empower the Valley elite and subject the people of these regions to more neglect,” Gupta said.
He said Kashmir was not entire Jammu and Kashmir, it is merely 15 per cent area of the state which is under Indian jurisdiction and constitutes about 45 percent of the state’s population. There is more than 60 per cent silent majority in the Valley which has nothing to do with the present turmoil and wants to remain part of Indian democracy.
