"Need To Separate Religion From Politics": Ex Congress Leader GN Azad

Democratic Azad Party (DAP) chief Ghulam Nabi Azad on Friday said there was a need to separate religion from politics.

"Everyone has a right to put across his or her viewpoint but they should talk about uniting people, not create divisions. They should not divide people on the basis of politics or religion.

"We will have to separate religion from politics," Mr Azad said at a party function.

The former Union minister said there were some leaders and parties that were creating divisions in society.

"There are some parties whose statements and activities have the potential to create discord in society. I criticise and oppose such policies which can create divisions in the society," he said.

Mr Azad also said elections should not be an excuse to spread hate, adding, "Elections have been held in the past as well." Jammu and Kashmir and its people are going through a testing time and mere slogans are of no use, he said.

"We have lost thousands of lives to some slogans. We cannot afford to lose even one more life to such slogans," he said in an apparent reference to the separatist wave in Jammu and Kashmir in the 1990s.

"When I was here (as chief minister), we were doing both things. Security forces were fighting the terrorists but we saved hundreds of youths and brought them back into the mainstream. No effort is being made in that direction now.

"You cannot just go on killing. That way we will kill the entire youth. In our families, our children sometimes do not listen to us. We ask his friend or teacher to make him understand and bring him back on track," he added.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)