Opposition demand all-party meeting on Kashmir
andalib akhter /
After 33 days of recent turbulence in Kashmir, Rajya Sabha the Upper House of Indian Parliament today began discussing the prevailing situation in the valley.
Opposition Congress demanded an all-party meeting on Kashmir as well as sending an all-party delegation to the Valley to quell the month-long unrest.
The party appealed to all members to express solidarity with the people of Kashmir telling them that they are with them for restoring peace and development. The House skipped the Zero Hour and Question Hour to take up the discussion on the situation in Jammu and Kashmir.
Initiating the discussion, Leader of Opposition Ghulam Nabi Azad said the situation is indeed serious and it needs to be tackled unitedly. He said politics has to be kept in abeyance to address the core issues to restore peace in the Valley. Demanding the Prime Minister’s statement in the House, Mr. Azad took a dig at Narendra Modi for speaking over the issue in Madhya Pradesh instead of Parliament.
Intervening in the discussion, Leader of the House and Finance Minister Arun Jaitley urged the members to speak in one voice as Kashmir is passing through a sensitive situation.
Sharad Yadav of JD(U) said that Kashmiris should be taken along through dialogues. He said the issue cannot be resolved through bullets. He also suggested that the House should pass a resolution expressing solidarity with the people of the Valley
Mr. Shamsher Singh Manhas of the BJP said the tension in Kashmir is because of the tussle between the nationalist forces and extremists who are supported by Pakistan. He said Jammu and Kashmir gets the highest allocation from the Centre. Still the Valley remains restive all the time. As a result, Jammu and Ladakh regions are also suffering.
Mr. Ramgopal Yadav of the Samajwadi Party called for sending a strong message to Pakistan not to meddle in Kashmir. He alleged that Pakistan and ISI are involved in misleading the youth of Kashmir Valley. He said the neighbouring country is sponsoring and supporting those who are involved in anti-India activities. He demanded the ban on the use of pellet guns. He was supported by Derek O Brien of Trinamool Congress. He said the pellet guns hurting the conscience of Kashmir people.
. The discussion is on.