"Irony of the situation is depressing," says P Chidambaram in Kashmiris being targeted
Following the Pulwama terror attack and the alleged targeting of Kashmiris in many areas across the country in the days that followed, former finance minister and senior Congress leader, P Chidambaram today said, "Some people want Kashmir to be part of India but don't want Kashmiris to be part of Indians."
Slamming Meghalaya Governor, Tathagata Roy, for his remark on Twitter, calling for the boycott of Kashmiri products and visiting the state as tourists, Mr Chidambaram said, "The irony of the situation is depressing."
"The 'Statue of Unity', the 182-metre statue of Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel, located near Sardar Sarovar Dam in Gujarat, watches over the governor of Meghalaya and others who seem to think that Kashmiris have no place in India," Mr Chidambaram said in a scathing comment on social media.
Sardar Patel, India's first home minister, is known as a unifier of the country and is credited with merging over 560 princely states into the union of India.
There have been reports since the Pulwama attack, which killed 40 CRPF soldiers, about Kashmiri students being targeted in Dehradun, Jammu, Kolkata and Muzaffarnagar and other places, forcing some of them to leave work and go back to Jammu and Kashmir.
National Conference chief and former chief minister of Jammu and Kashmir, Omar Abdullah in an emotional address today, alleged that the "entire Kashmiri community is being targeted."
PM Modi should have condemned Meghalaya Governor's comments, says Omar Abdullah
"Children who have nothing to do with politics are being targeted and driven out...it's in thousands...and reports are coming from everywhere...hotels have put up signboards saying Kashmiris not allowed," said Mr Abdullah.
The NC chief directly accused the BJP of not just allowing (targeting Kashmiris) but "encouraging it." Mr Abdullah said, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who talks of "embracing Kashmiris "should have condemned the Meghalaya Governor for publicly asking people to boycott Kashmiris.
"There was only silence - they (BJP-led government) are rather taking advantage of our miseries," said Mr Abdullah, adding that "even the Congress remained silent. They didn't utter a word about Kashmiris being targeted. They didn't raise their voice."
Praising Punjab Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh, who had said that if Pakistan PM, Imran Khan, can't catch Jaish-e-Mohammad terrorist Masood Azhar, India would do it for him - Mr Abdullah demanded a "statement today" from parties, but he said, "I see only politicians and no statesmen."