Will ensure honourable return & rehabilitation of Kashmiri Pandits: Union Minister

Jammu: Asserting that the terrorism in Jammu and Kashmir is ”taking its last breath”, Union Minister Prahlad Singh Patel on Sunday said the central government would ensure honourable return and rehabilitation of displaced Kashmiri Pandits in the valley. He said the government and its agencies are alert to the tactics of a handful of people who are jealous of the nation touching new heights under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and are creating communal tension in the country. The minister also said that the crown of India is incomplete without Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK).

“We salute to the Kashmiri Pandit community for their determination in braving the challenges of the past three decades. The situation is changing fast and the terrorism is taking its last breath,” Patel told reporters on the sidelines of a function organised by the BJP’s displaced Kashmiri unit here. He said the fight against terrorism has reached in decisive stage and “we are moving towards the victory.” “The central government is alive to the problems of the Kashmiri Pandits living in Jammu and different parts of the country and outside. The central and Union Territory governments are working together to ensure your honourable return and rehabilitation in the valley within a time frame,” the minister said. Referring to the targeted killings by terrorists in the valley, he said there is no need for a major concern as the government and the security agencies are alert and are giving a befitting reply to them.

Patel said the central government under the leadership of Modi had shown to the world that the party is capable of doing anything.

“We have restored grass-roots democracy (by holding elections to panchayat and urban bodies), fast forwarded development, procolated the benefits of central schemes to the poor, completed delimitation and also provided reservation to the deserving communities,” he said.

Asked about communal tension prevailing in different parts of the country including J&K following remarks by two now-suspended BJP leaders, he said since the country under the leadership of Modi is growing in popularity, there are certain forces who are jealous and do not want peace to prevail. “These forces are a handful and the government and its agencies including police and intelligence are alert and will be dealing with them as per the law,” he said.

Earlier addressing the function, he said the protests over the past 48 hours in different parts of the country cannot be ignored. “It is evident that those behind these protests are jealous of Modi since his return to power for the second time,” Patel said.

Referring to the revocation of Article 370 of the Constitution in August 2019, the minister said he had joined BJP only because he wanted removal of this article.

“I have not imagined that Article 370 will go before our eyes…It was not an easy task,” he said, adding the same was the case with the construction of Ram temple and triple talaq and said most of the central government schemes are women-centric. He said while most of the issues were addressed by the Modi-led government, there are still some pending issues which are linked to the heart and need to be addressed.

“The crown of India is incomplete without PoK which will be ours one day…without this, our progress is incomplete,” he said as he spoke about various achievements made by the BJP-led government in the country after Modi came to power in 2014.

He assured Pandits that all their pending demands like adequate space in flats, enhancement of monthly relief and employment opportunities for the youth will be addressed. Kashmiri Pandits United Front, meanwhile, handed over a memorandum to the minister highlighting various demands including permanent solution and rehabilitation of the community at a single place. It also appealed to the government to acknowledge that Kashmiri Pandits are “victims of genocide” and pleaded for passage of a bill in the parliament in this connection with a provision to identify those behind their “genocide” to bring them to justice.