Amit Shah said separatists are encouraging young people to take up violence in Kashmir valley
As many as 130 family members of separatist leaders in Jammu and Kashmir are either studying abroad or working, Home Minister Amit Shah said in the Rajya Sabha on Monday. He was replying to queries raised by members on extension of President's Rule in the state.
"I have the entire list with me, but I won't take names. I want to tell the members here these are children and relatives of those separatists who advocate closure of schools on the valley and ask children to pick up stones," Mr Shah said.
"One of the separatist leaders son is working in Saudi Arabia and is earning a package of Rs 30 lakh per month," Mr Shah said.
Officials in the Home Ministry said 90 per cent of the family members of the separatist leaders are either in Pakistan or in Gulf nations. "Pakistan High Commission plays a vital role in getting admission to kith and kin of these separatist leaders," a senior bureaucrat told NDTV, asking not to be identified.
The Home Minister alleged the UPA government made no effort to stop flow of funds from Pakistan. "We have choked their routes. The CBDT and ED have full-fledged offices in Srinagar and as many as 31 cases are being investigated by our agencies. 24 separatist leaders have been arrested and jailed," Mr Shah said.
He named Asiya Andrabi of Duktaran-e-Milat during his reply in the Rajya Sabha. "Her son is in Malaysia and she was the one who was organising shutdowns and protests on the valley," Mr Shah said.
Asiya Andrabi presently is lodged in Delhi's Tihar jail. A probe by the National Investigation Agency found that money for her children's education was used by another accused in terror funding case, Zahoor Watali.
"Andrabi during questioning admitted to having collected funds and donations from foreign sources which was used by Duktaran-e-Milat to organise protests by Muslim women on the valley. The NIA has already asked the authorities to provide details regarding certain bank accounts used by Andrabi's son Mohammad bin Qasim while he was in the university," said a senior NIA officer.
The Home Minister said young people in Kashmir valley should ask the separatist leaders where their children are studying. "...They all study in London and America at the cost of the public money of Jammu and Kashmir. They talk of separatism, provoke the youth of the valley, provoke separatist tendency. Those who close schools here send their children abroad for studies," said Mr Shah.