New Delhi: Leader of Opposition Ghulam Nabi Azad hit out at Prime Minister Narendra Modi for quoting former PM Atal Bihari Vajpayee while discussing the Kashmir unrest in Rajya Sabha on Wednesday.
“Vajpayee’s words do not suit Prime Minister Modi,” said Azad on Modi’s assertion that his government believes in Vajpayee’s mantra of ‘Insaniyat, Jamhooriyat and Kashmiriyat’.
He further attacked the Prime Minister for failing to make any statement on the issue despite giving his views on other incidents.
“We did not hear Prime Minister’s statement on Dalit issues here in the Parliament. We got to hear about his views from Telangana. We have been repetitively demanding that the PM should come and make statements on such issues,” Azad said.
The Congress leader said that an All Party Delegation needs to be formed to be sent to J&K and that it should be announced in the Parliament.
“Everyone in Kashmir is a victim of militancy. Many of us have lost their near and dear ones due to this militancy in Kashmir. There is a difference between communalism and separatism,” Azad added.
Azad said that law and order is not the sole responsibility of Kashmir police but that paramilitary forces are also involved in the matter.
“You call J&K an integral part of India, but there needs to be integration of the heart. Between people of India & J&K,” Azad said.
Azad had opened the debate by thanking Home Minister Rajnath Singh for allowing discussion on Kashmir issue in the Parliament.
Rajnath Singh had assured the House that it will take up the matter on Tuesday as the Upper House witnessed noisy scenes during the Zero Hour with the opposition demanding a discussion.
Speaking in Rajya Sabha, Singh said the government is ready to find the solution with the support of other political parties.
Azad had reiterated his party’s demand for holding an all-party meeting followed by an all-party delegation to Srinagar to take stock of the situation. He was supported by leaders of several other opposition parties.
Modi on Tuesday had reached out to the people of Kashmir and indicated his willingness to hold dialogue under the framework of the ‘Insaniyat (humanity), Jamhuriyat (democracy) and Kashmiriyat’.
He said that when Atal Bihari Vajpayee was the prime minister, he had adopted the path of ‘Insaniyat, Jamhuriyat and Kashmiriyat’ and the present government walks the same road.
PTI