Srinagar: Indian National Congress (INC) vice-president Rahul Gandhi slammed the Prime Minister Narendra Modi led government of India (GoI) for “unrest and violence” in Kashmir for past few months.
“About six, seven months ago, Arun Jaitley came to see me, I told him they are mishandling Kashmir,” Rahul Gandhi said.
“Arun Jaitley brushed me aside and said Kashmir is peaceful. Government of India and the Prime Minister are completely mishandling Kashmir,” the Gandhi family scion said.
“They are creating a problem for this country by their incompetence and by trying to utilise Kashmir as a political asset,” the Congress vice-president said.
He said that Kashmir has been “India’s strength” but the current government is making it “India’s weakness”.
Kashmir is witnessing surge in militant activities post death of charismatic Hizb ul Mujahideen commander, Burhan Wani, on July 08, 2016 which triggered an unprecedented anti-India uprising in Kashmir.
If police records are to be believed, more than ninety youth have joined militant ranks since then and are currently active.
Over hundred civilians were killed in armed forces action in 2016 during the months long peoples uprising following which eight civilians were killed on April 09 this year when Srinagar Lok Sabha constituency polled only 7 percent votes.
Since then, there has been no halt to civilian protests with Pulwama, Kulgam, Anantnag and Shopian remaining major hubs of pro-freedom demonstrations.
It has been second month now that student protests refuse to stop after soldiers of Indian army forced their entry in to a government run Degree College in Pulwama on April 15 which angered students and clashes erupted. At least fifty such students were injured that day when army used force firing tear gas shells and pellets.
Ever since, government has closed schools and colleges occasionally to halt the protests.
