PATNA: Muslims too are equally pained over the ghastly Pulwama terror attack, said Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar on Thursday while appealing the entire country to not boycott Kashmir as it is an integral part of India.
Addressing a press conference here, Nitish said: “Muslim community of this country is equally pained over the Pulwama terror attack like their other fellow Indians. I don’t understand why someone wants to boycott Kashmir. We should not take action against Kashmiris as they are part of India.”
“There is no place on this earth where everyone has similar opinions, people have contrasting views. We should not judge Kashmiris on Pulwama attack. One should not boycott Kashmir and Kashmiris,” he added.
[also_read url=”https://www.siasat.com/news/nitish-directs-police-ensure-safety-kashmiris-living-bihar-1468874/”]Nitish directs police to ensure safety of Kashmiris living in Bihar[/also_read]
Responding to the demands to revoke Article 370 in Kashmir, the Bihar Chief Minister stated: “Article 370 will not be removed from Kashmir. Whatever action is required to take against terrorists and rampant growth of terrorism, the government will surely take it. I personally can never think of revoking Article 370 from the Valley.”
Article 370 of the Indian Constitution grants special autonomous status to Jammu and Kashmir.
On being questioned that Congress has accused Prime Minister Narendra Modi of not giving “due importance” to the Pulwama terror attack and shooting for a film at a time the entire nation was mourning the killing of 40 CRPF personnel, Nitish said: “Everyone will politicise the issue as elections are near and the Opposition will take most of the advantage from it.”
In the aftermath of Pulwama terror attack, Nitish Kumar directed DGP Bihar and SSP Patna to make sure that Kashmiri students in the state are not troubled.
[also_read url=”https://www.siasat.com/news/pulwama-kashmiris-across-india-threaten-thrash-right-wing-activists-1468319/”]Pulwama: Kashmiris across India threaten; thrash by right-wing activists[/also_read]
The direction from the chief minister came after, few people vandalised a Kashmiri market in Patna in retaliation to Pulwama terror attack.
Around 40 CRPF personnel were killed when a suicide bomber rammed into a convoy while moving from Jammu to Srinagar in Lethpora area of South Kashmir Pulwama district on February 14 around 3:15 pm.
Pakistan based terror outfit Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM) claimed the responsibility of the attack.
[source_without_link]ANI[/source_without_link]