Srinagar
Hindu religious scholar and renowned civil society member, Swami Agnivesh Monday said that Prime Minister Narendra Modi is ‘selling’ Kashmir for electoral benefits across India, a local news gatherer CNS reported.
“Kashmir is a cash crop for Narendra Modi and his party BJP. He is selling Kashmir to get votes in different states of India. He knows Kashmir and Pakistan bashing will fetch him votes and he has succeeded in his plans so far,” CNS quoted Agnivesh saying in response to a question why New Delhi is reluctant to hold a dialogue with all stake-holders of Jammu and Kashmir.
Agnivesh alleged that BJP led Central Government will never encourage dialogue with Pakistan as it wants to keep the pot boiling. “It was a welcome development that Pakistani Army General himself advocated dialogue with India, but as expected present Indian dispensation showed a cold response. Once BJP will start a dialogue with Pakistan, it can’t attack Pakistan and mention Kashmir during election rallies and it can’t befool people and exploit them in the name of Kashmir and it even can’t sell soldiers services to the nation,” Agnivesh said.
Expressing deep anguish over unabated civilian killings in Kashmir, Agnivesh said that if Mehbooba feels that BJP is ditching her and is not interested in dialogue over Kashmir issue, then she should resign. “Mehbooba should not keep people in dark. If she is honest and feels the pain of people of Kashmir, then at this juncture she should support and stand for them,” he said adding that BJP knows it well that anti-Muslim and anti-Kashmir agenda suits their party.
Demanding stringent punishment for those responsible for civilian killings, Swami Agnivesh said it is unfortunate that probes are being conducted just to hoodwink the people. “It was a good move when Defense Minister Nirmala Sitraman assured full support to Mehbooba Mufti against those army men who killed two youth in Shopian in January this year, but nothing later happened and everything turned out to be lip service.
Swami Agnivesh said that civilian killings can’t be tolerated. “The violence that has escalated in Kashmir can stop only through a sustained and meaningful dialogue process,” he said. (CNS)
