Addressing the media on Monday, Home Minister Rajnath Singh said, “Kashmir is and will always be an integral part of India.” Singh was leading the all-party delegation that was snubbed by the Hurriyat Separatists on Sunday, when the former tried reaching out to them over the violence in Kashmir.
Hardening his stance on the issue, the BJP leader said, “Not only the door, even our windows are open for dialogue. The Parliament is the highest panchayat of a democracy and it’s very serious about Kashmir issue. Those who want peace and normalcy, we are ready to talk to them.”
“What the Hurriyat leaders are doing (by shunning the meeting) is neither Kashmiriyat nor Insaniyat (humanity). Those who do not believe in dialogue do not believe in Jamhooriyat (democracy),” he added.
Top separatist leaders Mirwaiz Umar Farooq, Yasin Malik and Syed Ali Geelani, on Saturday refused to attend talks with non-BJP MPs like Asaduddin Owaisi, CPI (M)’s Sitaram Yechuri, CPI’s D Raja and Janta Dal United’s Sharad Yadav.
Furthermore, the Union Minister addressed concerns about pellet guns being used on protestors and said, “Around 1000 of PAVA shells have arrived in Srinagar on Sunday. This is the alternative and I think it will not kill people.”
At least 40 people were injured as security forces used shotgun pellets to disperse thousands of protesters in south Kashmir’s Shopian district. A mob of protesters later set ablaze a multi-story sprawling complex of the district administration.
At least 74 persons, including two policemen, have been killed in the weeks of violence. More than 11,500 civilians and security forces have been injured.
The all-party delegation will visit Jammu on Tuesday after meeting different civil society delegations in Srinagar in the morning.
