Our Fight Is For Kashmir, Not Against Kashmiris, Says PM Modi

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday warned against the targeting of Kashmiris in the wake of the Pulwama terror attack, speaking out for the first time since violence broke out over a week ago in many parts of the country. "Our fight is for Kashmir, not against Kashmiris... Kashmiris have suffered the most due to terrorism, and the rest of the country must stand in their support," he said at a rally in Rajasthan's Tonk.

Since the suicide bomb attack in Jammu and Kashmir, that claimed the lives of over 40 troopers of the Central Reserve Police Force last Thursday, there have been reports of attacks and social boycotts of Kashmiris across India. The Supreme Court on Friday asked 10 states to take "prompt action" to stop these incidents.

From West Bengal to Jammu, several Kashmiri students and businessmen have complained of being harassed or beaten up. Hundreds have returned to Kashmir to escape persecution.

Till the Prime Minister's address today, no senior BJP leader had issued a full-throated condemnation of these attacks. However, the party's allies, the Shiromani Akali Dal and the Shiv Sena, had denounced them.

Union Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad, asked about an outrageous comment by Meghalaya governor and former BJP leader Tathagata Roy backing the social boycott of Kashmiris, was curt in his response: "I don't agree with his tweet. Matter ends there."

Former Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah responded to the Prime Minister's words:

It's been a more than a week since the terrible attack in Pulwama & more than a week that Kashmiris have been bearing the brunt of the public anger. Perhaps finally after PM @narendramodi Sb has spoken these forces targeting Kashmiris will stop in their tracks.

- Omar Abdullah (@OmarAbdullah) February 23, 2019

Though the Pulwama terror attack in Jammu and Kashmir was claimed by the Pakistan-based Jaish-e-Mohammed, the suicide bomber was a man who lived just 10 km from the spot.