STATE TIMES NEWS
Jammu: Amid a row over return of Kashmiri Pandits, Congress on Thursday said it should not be done under police protection but an atmosphere should be created so that they can live in the Valley like they did prior to migration.
The party’s national spokesman Raj Babbar accused the Centre as well as the Jammu and Kashmir government of indulging in “rhetoric and drama” over the issue.
“We want that things (regarding the return of Kashmiri Pandits) should not be confined to only papers but a conducive atmosphere should be made so that when the Kashmiri Pandit returns, his security and safety should be ensured,” he told reporters here.
“Their return should not be under the shadow of guns, under the protection of police. They should be able to roam freely in the markets with dignity,” Babbar said.
His comments come amidst stiff opposition by separatists and some others to the government’s reported proposal for setting up colonies to resettle the Kashmiri Pandits.
He said Kashmiri Pandits should get an environment which was like they used to get when they lived in the Valley prior to migration.
Asked to comment on the issue of Amitabh Bachchan being slammed for his proposed participation in government programme on Friday, the Congress spokesman said, “Why should we target someone who is getting ready to be targeted himself?
“We have nothing to do with it, neither we targeted. The question is that his name surfaced in Panama Leaks and it was not Congress which brought him into it. If his name has come in the Leaks, then it is the BJP government which has to give an answer.”
STATE TIMES correspondent reports that Raj Babbar labeled BJP President Amit Shah as 2IC (second in command) of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and claimed Modi’s oft repeated slogan of ‘Sabka Ka Saath Sabka Vikas’ is nothing but a fraud with the people of India. Babbar, who arrived here to address a media conference marking the second year of Modi led BJP government in office, also counted numerous failures of the government on fulfilling its promises made to the people of the country in the run up to the Lok Sabha polls in 2014.
Launching a frontal attack on BJP Chief Raj Babbar even failed to acknowledge him claiming a senior leader of the party has become 2IC of the Indian Prime Minister and following in his footsteps since Parliamentary polls.
Babbar also alleged that only those people who enjoy patronage of Prime Minister and are part of the kitchen cabinet are flourishing while rest are suffering due to poor policies of the Union Government. He said the performance of two- year-old Modi Government was”most disappointing” for any dispensation since independence.
Questioning Modi Government’s foreign policy and its love hate relationship with Pakistan, Babbar said before the Parliamentary polls Modi always boasted of 56 inch chest but when he visited Pak premiere and attended wedding reception of his close relative, Pak launched an audacious strike at Pathankot air base to derail the peace process.
Questioning the logic behind celebrating the completion of two years of central government in office, Babbar said, “We really don’t know what is there to celebrate for the country as the youth have failed to get promised jobs, the farmers are suffering due to bad policies of the Union Government, they has failed to check inflation and power sector is in doldrums”.
He said Modi government is “surviving just on advertisements” and challenged it for a debate. Referring to the local issues Babbar said even though the party is running an alliance government with PDP in Jammu and Kashmir the local residents are not happy with the functioning of the alliance government on ground zero.
