Home Minister Rajnath Singh yesterday slammed Pakistan for supporting terrorism and separatism in India, and said Islamabad was responsible for what was happening in Jammu and Kashmir.
“The name is Pakistan - land of the pure - but its actions are unholy,” the home minister said during a debate in the Rajya Sabha on the situation in Kashmir.
He said Pakistan must mind its own business as India is capable of dealing with its issues.
The minister said Hizbul Mujahideen commander Burhan Wani was a terrorist who was involved in many cases and at least 17 cases were registered against him in India.
Singh said Wani was involved in enticing the youth of Kashmir to pick up guns and work against the country’s interests.
Terming the situation in Kashmir as “unfortunate,” the minister said all possible efforts were being made to restore normalcy in the state.
“I am in constant touch with the chief minister there. We discuss the situation at least twice a day. I am also in touch of the heads of the security forces,” Singh said.
He said the security forces have been advised to use “maximum restraint” and use force only if they have no other option.
The minister said security forces will continue to fight against terrorists but efforts will be made to bring back misguided youths into the mainstream “as they are ours.”
Singh said he will soon visit the state and initiate dialogue with the common people there.
Earlier, Finance Minister Arun Jaitley refuted Congress’ charge that Kashmir was disturbed because the coalition government of the People’s Democratic Party and the Bharatiya Janata Party failed to handle the situation, and instead said Pakistan was the “sole reason” for the problems there.
“To think that because BJP-PDP coalition is ruling there and that’s why there is this problem, is not correct,” Jaitley said.
He said Pakistan never accepted that Kashmir was part of India, and hence continued its effort to disturb it.
Responding to Congress leader Ghulam Nabi Azad, Jaitley said it was not television debates on the issue of Kashmir or anything else that was causing unrest there, “it was Pakistan that was creating the problem.”
Meanwhile, a curfew and a shutdown called by separatists paralysed life for the 11th day in Kashmir yesterday.
Officials Sunday was the first day without any civilian casualty since violence engulfed the state on July 9, following the killing of Wani on July 8.
“A violent mob attacked a camp of the Rashtriya Rifles in Saderkot area of Bandipora district yesterday (Sunday) forcing soldiers to open fire in self-defence. Four protesters were injured. Except for stray incidents of stone throwing at some places, the overall law and order situation remained calm yesterday across the Valley,” a senior police officer said.
Over a week-long cycle of violence has left 40 protesters and two policemen dead in Kashmir.
Authorities have officially confirmed that a ban on newspaper will be in place till today.
Cable television has, however, resumed after service providers took off all Pakistan TV channels and two private Indian channels.
All mobile phone services including Internet and call facilities have been snapped across the Kashmir Valley.
Policemen stand next to a burning handcart set on fire by demonstrators during a protest in Srinagar yesterday.
