New Delhi:
The government and the opposition vied to speak on the communal violence in Kishtwar, Jammu and Kashmir on Monday morning, leading to chaos and yet another adjournment of the Rajya Sabha. The BJP is angry that senior leader Arun Jaitley was not allowed to visit the town yesterday and has accused the J&K government of "hiding the truth."
Leader of the Opposition in the Rajya Sabha, Arun Jaitley, is addressing the House on the issue. Here are the highlights:
- This has been a matter of huge concern. Historically, community relations have been very cordial.
- For the past few days, anti-national activities had increased in Kishtwar.
- When the selective targetting started, it was brought to the notice at the highest level. PM was spoken to in minutes.
- People were crying out of helplessness and police were a mute spectator
- There were complaints that a senior functionary of the state could have been involved, which is a matter of investigation
- The functionaries of the district were all spectators and took no action
- You have 100s of shops being burnt, houses ransacked and people injured
- You could not treat them in the civil hospital, they were taken to the military action
- It was only till late evening that the Army moved in - and in these 6-7 hours there was mayhem in Kishtwar town
- I do understand that the two concerned officials - District Magistrate and SSP - had to be moved out
- We sympathise with our friends in the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) - their district president was killed
- What do we do in a situation like this? Do we take an ostrich-like approach?
- Here we have an approach - let's just put an iron curtain
- The state of Jammu and Kashmir is not a personal property of one family. It is an integral part of India and you will have to decide how it will be governed
- What if the BJP governments start imposing Sectio 144 to prevent AICC leaders from entering their states? India is not a banana republic.
- The order banning me from entering the state is indefinite and open-ended
- The whole incident requires to be investigated. This is not an inter-community disturbance.
- It is not a law and order situation. It is a matter of India's sovereignty
- Those affected must be compensated and the guilty brought to book
- Why have there been no arrests so far?
Farooq Abdullah reacts:
- In 2002, Gujarat did not allow people to come to Ahmedabad and did not deploy the Army
Mayawati speaks:
- With regret, I must note five soldiers were killed in the Poonch sector by Pakistan soldiers. We regret the soldier injured has also died.
- We were thinking the state and Centre would be alert in J&K and would take care of the law & order situation and the borders too.
- The violence in Kishtwar targeted a community. Many have been injured, some killed. Our Kishtwar district president's son was killed.
- 17 shots were fired at that boy, according to reports I have received.
- The state government's Home Minister was there in Kishtwar on the day this incident happened
- He could have brought the situation under control, but that was not done.
- The state government was caught napping and the judicial probe was ordered just this morning
- The Centre should intervene in the matter and not remain silent.
- If an FIR is not lodged against the Jammu and Kashmir Minister of State, the Centre should dismiss the state government and impose President's Rule
Sitaram Yechury:
- I rise with deep sense of agony and anguish at what is happening in Kishtwar
- It is not merely a local law and order problem.
- Disappointed that the situation was allowed to degenerate to this level
- Proper relief and rehabilitation must be given to the victims
- Proper enquiry is needed, the truth has to come out
- The judicial inquiry ordered does not inspire confidence
- We know that the number of LoC transmissions has increased, number of infiltrating attempts have increased.
- Inspite of all such alerts why was such laxity shown.
- Central intervention is necessary and normalcy has to be restored at the earliest