Premium
This is an archive article published on June 23, 2018

‘Dealing with terrorists who refuse to surrender is not muscular, but rule of law’

The BJP also came down heavily on senior Congress leader Ghulam Nabi Azad for his remarks alleging that Army operations kill more civilians than terrorists in Kashmir.

Union Minister for Electronics & Information Technology Ravi Shankar Prasad addressing press conference. (Express Photo by Prem Nath Pandey)

Days after pulling out of an alliance with the PDP in Jammu and Kashmir in “larger national interest”, the BJP on Friday targeted the opposition Congress and junked the human rights argument from certain quarters against the government’s “muscular policy” in Kashmir.

While Union minister Ravi Shankar Prasad targeted the Congress over remarks of party leaders on Kashmir, senior minister Arun Jaitley defended the government’s policy in Kashmir, suggesting it was to “save the Human Rights of every Indian – be it a tribal or a Kashmiri” from terrorists.

“It is paramount to protect India’s sovereignty and the right to life of its citizens. At times we get caught in the idioms that we create. One such phrase is ‘muscular policy in Kashmir’. To deal with a killer is also a law and order issue. It can’t wait a political solution… A terrorist who refuses to surrender and refuses a ceasefire offer has to be dealt with as anybody taking law in his own hand. This is not ‘muscular’. It is the rule of law,” Jaitley said in an article posted on the BJP website declaring that “our policy has to be ‘Save the Human Rights of every Indian – be it a tribal or a Kashmiri’ from terrorists”.

Story continues below this ad
Arun Jaitley defended the government’s policy in Kashmir. (File)

The BJP leader went on to virtually suggest that rights champions cautioning against the muscular policy were the “over-ground face of the underground”. “These human right organisations are an over-ground face of the underground. In the system that they believe in, there is no place for life, liberty, equality and free speech. In fact, there is no space for election or Parliamentary democracy,” Jaitley said, lamenting that opposition parties like Congress, AAP and TMC were lending support to these groups.

“Even though the Congress Party historically and ideologically would have been opposed to these groups, they have earned a sympathy in Rahul Gandhi’s heart. He had no qualms about joining those who raised subversive slogans at JNU and Hyderabad. With this initial success, the others amongst the so called federal front have forgotten the dangers of these groups to India and Indian democracy. The political adventurists in parties like AAP, TMC and the like only look for a political opportunity in these groups,” Jaitley said, underlining the violence unleashed by militants in the Kashmir valley.

“For the past three years the terrorists up their activities in the months of April, May and June so that the economic lifeline of the valley suffers in the tourism season. They terrorise courts; they kill editors; they kill innocent citizens and they don’t allow any alternate religion to be practised. Who is threatening the human rights of the citizens of Kashmir? It is obvious that it is the terrorists and the Jehadis who have done it,” Jaitley wrote, slamming the human rights champions for not speaking out against this.

Jaitley also claimed that Maoists have “started coordinating with the Jehadis and separatists notwithstanding their ideological dissimilarity”. “The only thing common between them was violence, overthrow of the constitutional order and secessionism i.e. the breakup of India. Recent evidence suggest that they are trying to rope in some misguided dalit activists into their fold. This became publically apparent after the ‘Tukde Tukde’ agitation in the Jawaharlal Nehru University and the events which followed in Hyderabad thereafter,” Jaitley said.

Story continues below this ad

The BJP also came down heavily on senior Congress leader Ghulam Nabi Azad for his remarks alleging that Army operations kill more civilians than terrorists in Kashmir. Addressing mediapersons at BJP headquarters, Prasad alleged that Azad’s observations had been endorsed by organisations like Lashkar-e-Toiba. “These organisations and their patrons in Pakistan would be the happiest to hear such statements of Congress leaders,” Prasad said, alleging that senior Congress leaders have gone to the extent of seeking to compromise the courage and respect for the Armed forces due to their pathological hatred of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the BJP.

Terming Azad’s remarks “irresponsible, shameful and regrettable”, Prasad slammed him for dubbing the Defence Minister’s and Army Chief’s visits to meet the family of Aurangzeb a drama. “Is paying homage to an Army jawan who sacrificed his life for the country a drama? Has Congress declined to that low a level?” Prasad said.
Prasad claimed that the number of terrorists killed in Jammu and Kashmir was 72 in 2012, 67 in 2013 (both in UPA rule), 110 in 2014, 108 in 2015, 150 in 2016, 217 in 2017 and 75 till May this year. “This is the story of efforts made during UPA and NDA regimes to fight terrorism in J&K,” Prasad said.

When mediapersons sought his response to the statements of Congress leaders Saifuddin Soz and Azad, Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) of Ministry of Development of North Eastern Region Jitendra Singh said he was personally not surprised because it has been an established trend in Kashmir politics that when the Kashmir-centric leaders, including those of Congress, are in power, they swear by Kashmir being an integral part of India, but when out of power, they resort to separatist or semi-separatist jargon and begin to question the status of Kashmir. “If ever restored back to power, which is unlikely, the same Congress leaders will again start swearing by Kashmir being an integral part of India”, he said.

Stay updated with the latest - Click here to follow us on Instagram

Latest Comment
Post Comment
Read Comments
Advertisement
Loading Taboola...
Advertisement
Advertisement