NEW DELHI: In the wake of communal clashes in Kishtwar, the Centre has asked the Jammu and Kashmir Government to ensure peace by deploying adequate forces in all parts of the State. In an advisory, the Home Ministry told the State Government that the violence may spread to other parts and asked it to ensure that no such incident is repeated anywhere else. Assuring all help, the Centre said that adequate forces should be deployed in all sensitive places to maintain law and order, official sources said. The Home Ministry also said those indulging in violence should be brought to book and action should be initiated against them, they said. The Government today ruled out any terror or “external aggression” link to the communal violence in Kishtwar and asserted that there will be no repeat of 1990 when Pandits were forced to leave Kashmir valley. Finance Minister P Chidambaram, speaking in the Rajya Sabha on behalf of indisposed Home Minister Sushilkumar Shinde, said the overall situation in the State is under control even as members warned that the recent events should not be treated as mere inter-community clash as the country’s “sovereignty and integrity” is at stake. The House saw an impromptu discussion on the situation in the State after Leader of Opposition Arun Jaitley raised the issue of violence that began in Kishtwar town on Friday last and spread to other areas of Jammu province. The BJP leader’s concerns over the situation were echoed by several other members like BSP Chief Mayawati, CPI-M leader Sitaram Yechury, Sukhendu Sekhar Roy (Trinamool), Karan Singh (Cong), D Raja (CPI), V Maitreyan (AIADMK), T M Selvaganapathy (DMK) and K C Tyagi (JD-U). Responding to the concerns and apprehensions, Chidambaram said, “it would not be correct to assume or believe that an undercurrent of tension between one community and another is necessarily related to terrorism or to external aggression.” Contending that he was “fairly acquainted” with the “challenges that Jammu and Kashmir faces and consequently, India faces”, the Minister said, “There is the challenge of infiltration and aggression. There is the challenge of terrorists operating in Jammu and Kashmir, especially in the (Kashmir) Valley.” Sufficient Army contingents had been deployed in violence-hit areas and they conducted flag marches, he said, adding the Centre will extend all help to the State. Giving details of the incident, he said the situation in Kishtwar was “near normal” and no untoward incident had been reported since August 9. While noting that violence had been witnessed in some other parts of Jammu province, the Minister said, “Overall situation in Jammu and Kashmir is tense but under control.” “There is a challenge of infiltration. There is a challenge of terrorists. There is also challenge of undercurrent of tension between one community with another,” he said, adding the Centre will extend all help to the State. Giving details of the incident, he said the situation in Kishtwar was “near normal” and no untoward incident had been reported since August 9. While noting that violence had been witnessed in some other parts of Jammu province, the Minister said, “Overall situation in Jammu and Kashmir is tense but under control.” He said sufficient Army contingents had been deployed in violence-hit areas and they conducted flag marches. “The Central Government will extend all support to the State Government to maintain law and order and ensure peace and harmony in the State,” Chidambaram said, adding the State Government would be asked to make it a “credible inquiry”. He backed the decision of the State Government not to allow Jaitley yesterday to visit Kishtwar town, saying the district administration came to conclusion that it was “not an appropriate time” for the BJP leader to go there. Observing that it was time for restraint, he assured Jaitley and other political leaders that they would be allowed to visit once normalcy is restored. Giving details of the events that unfolded since Friday last in Kishtwar town, Chidambram said violence erupted after a clash between some individuals and processionists on the day of Eid. Some of processionists raised “pro-azadi slogans”, he said adding, however, that raising such slogans is not a new phenomenon as it happens “virtually every Friday”. Two people were killed in Kishtwar, while one was found dead in another area. “So far death toll is three — one Hindu, two from Muslim community. But all of them are Indians,” he said, adding he deeply regretted this. On the action taken, he said Deputy Commissioner and Senior Superintendent of Police have been transfered. Also, several people have been arrested and more arrests would follow. Earlier, Jaitley alleged that the State Government had failed to take appropriate measures to control violence and warned that it should not be a repeat of 1990 when an entire minority community was compelled to leave Kashmir valley. “The violence in Kishtwar and adjoining areas involves the sovereignty and integrity of the country and should not be seen only as a clash between two communities,” he said. “This incidence is not just an inter-community conflict,” Jaitley said, adding that flags of another country were waved and pictures of a convict given death sentence displayed. On his being prevented from going to Kishtwar, he sought to know if Government was trying to impose censorship. He recalled that in the past when such a situation arose then Home Minister Shivraj Patil and later his successor Chidambaram had taken all-party delegations to help people exhaust their anger and calm down tempers. But now an “iron curtain” has been imposed so that nobody enters the State, the BJP leader alleged. Attacking the State Government, Jaitley said the State of Jammu and Kashmir is not property of any one family. He said India is not a “banana republic” where an indefinite order is issued under Section 144 banning a person from entering Jammu region. Peeved at this comment, Union Minister and National Conference leader Farooq Abdullah hit back by reminding Jaitley about 2002 Gujarat riots. “In 2002, Gujarat, in the riots period, did not allow people to go to Ahmedabad. They didn’t deploy the Army,” he said. Abdullah’s party colleague Mohammad Shafi said the incident should not be viewed from a communal angle and it is important to know why such a situation has arisen just before 2014 general elections. He said the country does not belong to one community. Jaitley said the incident raises the issue of India’s sovereignty and demanded that those responsible for the violence be brought to book. “The whole incident requires to be investigated. It is not just an intra-communal disturbance. It is not merely a law and order situation. “This is an issue of India’s sovereignty. Flags of the neighbouring nation are not displayed during a communal clash in India, posters of death row terrorists are not displayed during a skirmish between two religious communities in India”. He demanded that those who suffered in the clashes should be duly compensated. “Those guilty for the incident should be brought to book,” Mr Jaitley said. Alleging that the police had been a mute spectator when the clashes broke out, Mr Jaitley said, “Though we were assured by the Government that the Army is being moved, the Army moved in only late in the evening. By then, there was mayhem in the town of Kishtwar.” Lashing out at the Jammu and Kashmir Government for barring entry of the media and other leaders in the State, Mr Jaitley asked, “What does one do in a situation like this? Impose censorship? Take an ostrich like approach and ban the media so that no one comes to know what is going on? Will the media be quiet about this and not go overboard criticising the issue?’’ “What if the BJP-led States imposed a Section 144 of the CrPC and stopped all AICC members from entering them? What is this a banana republic?’’ Charging the Jammu and Kashmir Government with playing politics on the Kishtwar riots, Mr Jaitley said, ‘’There was mayhem in Kishtwar town for over eight hours. This situation should have been brought under control immediately.’’ “People were crying for help and entire administration was a mute spectator,’’ he said. Earlier, there were noisy scenes in the House between the Government and the Opposition benches as Deputy Chairman P J Kurien allowed Mr Jaitley to speak though the Government said it was willing to make a statement on the issue. While the Congress members, including Finance Minister P Chidambaram, Ahmed Patel, Ambika Soni and Satyavrat Chaturvedi asked the Chair to allow the Government to make a statement first, Prof Kurien said he had allowed the Leader of Opposition to speak before the Government said it wanted to make a statement. ‘’When I came here, I allowed the LoP. I had no intimation from the Government. You should have intimated. I have allowed LoP. I stand by it,’’ Prof Kurien said. Members from the Samajwadi party and other parties also demanded that they be allowed to make a statement after Mr Jaitley and Satish Misra of the BSP. After hearing all the members, the Deputy Chairman ruled that Mr Jaitley, Mr Misra and all other parties would be allowed to speak on the issue and thereafter the Government would make its statement. BSP Chief Mayawati demanded that the Jammu and Kashmir Government be removed and President’s Rule be imposed in the State. She said after the killing of five Indian soldiers by Pakistan Army at the LoC, everyone was expecting that the Centre and the State Government will be alert about the law and order situation. “But it is very sad that violence occurred at large scale in Kishtwar. In that incident BSP’s Kishtwar president’s son was also killed. Seventeen bullets were fired at him,’’ Ms Mayawati said. She alleged that the state’s Home Minister was present in Kishtwar on the day the clashes took place but he failed to control the situation. “Our party is not satisfied by the judicial probe ordered by the State. The Centre should take action. It should intervene into the matter,’’ she said. She demanded strict action against guilty of the violence. CPI(M) leader Sitaram Yechury alleged that the authorities did not take timely action. “I rise with deep sense of anger over the situation in Kishtwar. The situation was allowed to deteriorate. Why timely action was not taken? The situation continues to be tensed,’’ he said. Mr Yechury said the judicial probe was not adequate and the Centre should intervene into the issue. AIADMK leader V Maitreyan also slammed the Centre and the State Government on the violence. Ram Gopal Yadav of the SP said terrorist activities have been increased in Jammu and Kashmir even after the Army and the BSF have been deployed on the borders. He said anti-national elements do not want peace in the State. Removal of the State Government was not a solution. Prof Yadav condoled the death of the BSP leader’s son during the violence. The House witnessed disruption by the TDP members on the Telangana issue as they were in the well. They continued their protest against creation of Telangana when JD(U) member K C Tyagi started speaking on the Kishtwar violence. Mr Tyagi said this was his maiden speech but Prof Kurien said he cannot take advantage of his maiden speech and asked the member to restrict himself to three minutes. The Deputy Chairman asked the TDP members to go back to their seats saying that their issue will be taken today but to no avail. Mr Tyagi became angry as his speech was disturbed by the TDP members. He told them that he supports their cause but if the TDP members will not allow him to speak he will also not allow them to raise their issue. He also reached into the well and asked the TDP members to allow him to speak. Shivanand Tiwari of the JD(U) also objected to the TDP members’ protest. “I wanted to take action against them (TDP members). But the House is not allowing,’’ Prof Kurien said. The TDP members then allowed the members to speak on the Kishtwar violence and they sat near the Chair. Dr Karan Singh, Congress Rajya Sabha member, today criticised successive Governments at the Centre for “sitting” over reports by various committees and commissions on the Kashmir problem and inaction to restore order in the Valley. Participating in a discussion on the Eid-Ul-Fitr Kishtwar clashes, the ex-ruler of J&K, asked the Centre to”move” on the festering issue. Pointing out that there had always been underlying tension in the State, he said committees and commissions had been appointed by successive Governments to look into the Kashmir problem but nothing nothing had been done. “Jammu Kashmir ki gaadi nahi chal rahi hai (The vehicle of J&K is not moving at all),” he said. Dr Karan Singh said, “one spark could ignite a fire” if the situation was not handled properly. “Over the past 40 years, lots of committees and commissions have been formed to deal with the problem. Despite all those reports, no action has been taken…You can’t sit on that (reports)…We have not even seen the interlocutors report…We have got to take some step.” “From the time my ancestors ruled the state, we have lost half the State. From 84,000 sq miles, we only have 42,000 sq miles…,” he said. Dr Karan Singh alluded to the State’s multi-cultural, multi-ethnic and multi-lingual profile of the State and sought a high-powered probe instead of a departmental inquiry in the Kishtwar violence. Minister of State for Home Affairs RPN Singh today said the Centre is giving all support to Jammu and Kashmir Government in the probe over the clashes which broke out between two communities after Eid prayers in Kishtwar, Jammu and Kashmir. The clashes claimed two lives on Friday. “We are giving all support to the Jammu and Kashmir Government. We have asked the Government to arrest all miscreants behind the tension so that normalcy can be brought in Jammu and adjoining areas as soon as possible,” the Minister told reporters outside Parliament. Claiming that the violence in Jammu and Kashmir’s Kishtwar district was a conspiracy by separatists and Pakistan, the BJP today demanded a “legitimate, speedy and credible” probe into the clashes in which three people have been killed. “This was not a clash between two communities. It was not a riot. It was a well planned conspiracy by the separatists to disturb the peace. It was a one-sided attack,” BJP spokesperson Prakash Javadekar told reporters here. He said the Centre should take seriously Pakistan connection in the clashes occurred on August 9. “Separatists’ link with Pakistan should also be probed,” he demanded. Expressing disagreement with Finance Minister P Chidambaram’s statement on the issue, Mr Javadekar said it was a ‘cover up’ of the clashes. Mr Javadekar said: ‘’We demand a legitimate, speedy and credible inquiry into the incident, not the one suggested by the State Government.’’ He also slammed the Omar Abdullah Government for not allowing senior BJP leader Arun Jaitley to enter Kishtwar yesterday. ‘’Under Section 144 CrPC, five members cannot assemble. But why the State Government did not allow Mr Jaitley to come out from Jammu airport? It was misuse of the law,’’ the BJP spokesperson stated. He further accused the Congress of disrupting Parliament on Telangana issue. Mr Javadekar said the Congress was doing double game on the issue of a separate State of Telangana from Andhra Pradesh. Slamming both the Centre and the Jammu and Kashmir Government for the violence in Kishtwar, BJP leader Yashwant Sinha today said Government remained a “mute spectator” to the clashes in which Pakistan’s hand is suspected. “This is not communal violance, this is a war between Pakistan and India, whatever is happening there is Pakistan-inspired,” he told reporters outside Parliament. He said the violence was perpetrated against the locals, their houses and shops burnt, Pakistan flag was unfurled and pro-Pakistan slogans were raised but the “Government remained a mute spectator as the events unfolded. It is trying to hide the truth”. CPI(M) today expressed concern over the situation in riot-hit Kishtwar and other areas of Jammu region and asked the State administration to sternly deal with the “divisive elements” fomenting trouble. “There are reports that activists of the BJP-RSS-VHP are fanning out in the areas and inciting people to attack houses and shops owned by the minority community. This situation is providing further grist to the mill of separatist elements in the Kashmir valley who are attempting to create further trouble,” the party Politburo said in a statement. The major Left party said it was “unfortunate that even after the trouble began, it took several hours for the police and the administration to act. In the meanwhile, the rioters had a free run.” Had the authorities acted in time, lives and property could have been saved and situation brought under control, it said and asserted that all attempts to sow discord among the people on religious and communal lines must be defeated. “Despite aberrations, the people of the State have maintained communal harmony and brotherhood till now… People should not get swayed by rumour mongers and provocations of divisive elements who are out to disrupt peace in the state,” CPI(M) said. It asked the State administration to act firmly against elements desperate to disturb peace and harmony in the State. (Agencies)
Posted on: Tue, 13 Aug 2013 05:25:56 +0000
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