Delhi Chief Minister and AAP convener Arvind Kejriwal on Sunday slammed the Modi Government over Kashmiri Pandits exodus from the valley after the targeted killings of minorities and demanded the Centre to “get over with the meetings” and “take action on the ground” in the Kashmir Valley. The Chief Minister further said this shows the BJP cannot handle Kashmir and only knows how to do dirty politics.
Addressing the AAP’s ‘Jan Akrosh Rally’ at Jantar Mantar in the national Capital in solidarity with Kashmiri Pandits, Kejriwal also hit out at Pakistan, accusing it of supporting terror activities in Kashmir.
Once again, hundreds of Kashmiri Pandits are being forced to leave their homeland. It happened in 1990 and is happening again in 2022. What is the BJP Government doing? How many meetings will you do in the name of an action plan?
"What is the plan? Kashmir wants an action plan. Yesterday ( Saturday), I saw that a three-hour-long high-level meeting was held. There have been too many meetings. This shows the BJP cannot handle Kashmir and it only knows how to do dirty politics. Please do not do politics over Kashmir,” said Kejriwal. “Please take some action on the ground. People are dying," he added.
Braving the heat, hundreds of protesters, including women and children, gathered at the Jantar Mantar to protest against the killings of Kashmiri Pandits in the valley.Carrying placards that read "India will not tolerate the killings of Kashmiri Pandits", the protesters raised "Bharat Mata ki Jai" slogans and demanded justice for the Kashmiri Pandits who are being targeted and killed by terrorists.The protesters also maintained a two-minute silence to pay tributes to those who lost their lives due to the targeted killings in the valley. Several AAP leaders, including Delhi Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia, Environment Minister Gopal Rai, Rajya Sabha MP Sanjay Singh and party MLAs, attended the "Jan Aakrosh Rally" and raised anti-BJP slogans.
The Delhi CM further said that he will seek time from Union Home Minister Amit Shah to discuss the issue and know the Centre's plan to stop the killings in Kashmir.
Kejriwal also alleged that the BJP government had forcefully signed a bond with around 4,000 Kashmiri Pandits, according to which they could not move out of Kashmir and work in other cities. “The BJP government should immediately cancel the bond and allow people to work and live wherever they want,” he said.
“I request the BJP and its leaders to not do politics in the name of Kashmir and Kashmiri pandits. Rather than playing dirty politics, they should fulfill the demands of Kashmiri pandits, provide security to them and tell them about the action plan you made for them to tackle the ongoing situation in the valley,” he said.
Kejriwal also hits out at Pakistan accusing it of supporting terror activities in Kashmir. "I want to tell Pakistan to stop its petty tactics. Kashmir was ours and will always be a part of India...If India decides, then Pakistan will not exist," he said at the rally held against the targeted killings in Kashmir. The AAP national convener demanded the Centre make public its plan to deal with the situation in the Valley.
"The bond was that you (Kashmiri Pandits) will be sacked if you ask to be transferred out of Kashmir. You will have to work in Kashmir," he alleged. "Kashmiri Pandits are demanding that this bond be cancelled... The entire nation wants this bond to be cancelled. Kashmiri Pandits are not bonded labourers, they are free to work wherever they want," he said.