J&K: Congress seeks protection for Pandits, others

The Congress has hit out at the Centre over rising cases of target killings, especially of Kashmiri Pandits and and other Hindus, in the Valley and demanded to know from the Modi government its strategy to curb terror strikes and to ensure safety of targeted social sections.

AICC fielded Kashmiri Pandit Vivek Tankha, a Congress parliamentarian, at the official briefing to air the opposition party's concerns on targeted killings of Kashmiri Pandits and other Hindus and to demand safety and justice.

"There is no reason that the situation created 30 years ago (a reference to the exodus of Kashmiri Pandits) should have been repeated now... If you are truly connected with the pain of the public and want to wipe off their (the targeted social sections in Valley) tears, then you would address their issues seriously," Tankha said.


He demanded to know how the Centre was going to tackle the spurt in terror strikes. "We would like to have a white paper (on the J&K situation). The government should take into confidence all stake-holders about how it would deal with the situation. The government should also discuss it with other political parties...The government must ensure security for the targeted sections," he said, lamenting the current dispensation 'lacked inclusive approach and statesmanship' to deal with the J&K situation.

In a reference to the Modi government scrapping Article 370 with the acclaim that it would dramatically improve the situation in the valley, Tankha said the Kashmir problem was complex and required a sensitive approach. It can't be merely solved by changing a law alone, he said.