BJP TODAY

May 1--15, 2003 - Vol. 12, No. 09

Massacre of Kashmiri Pandits in South Kashmir
Put a stop to soft Agenda of Mufti Government
Venkaiah Naidu

Bharatiya Janata Party President Shri M Venkaiah Naidu has strongly condemned the murderous attack in Nandimarg in Shopian area of south Kashmir resulting in the brutal death of 24 Kashmiri Pandits. Shri Naidu said in a statement that these incidents were the handiwork of Pakistan-sponsored terrorism which were aimed at their long term agenda of ethnic cleansing of the Kashmir valley, inhabited by a composite population.

The international community must understand that Pakistan has not given up cross-border terrorism and should become aware of the evil designs of Islamabad and condemn it outright he added.

The Central and the State governments together must effectively coordinate their efforts to deal with the situation and take strong action against the perpetrators of this heinous crime, Shri Naidu said.

The BJP President also demanded that the Congress-PDP Government in the State must, in ths light of the continuing incidents of militant violence, immediately reassess the utility of continuing with its soft policy on terrorism. He called upon the Congress Party to immediately put a halt to the PDP's soft agenda towards terrorism in national interest.

The BJP President acknowledged that while the situation in Kashmir required healing, this "healing touch" must heal the victims of terror only and not its perpetrators. The people of Jammu and Kashmir had displayed immense courage and nationalist sentiments to elect their representatives in a landmark electoral process, he said and expressed the hope that, given the serious situation in the state, the PDP-Congress Government would adequately respond and review its earlier decision of disbanding the Special Operations Group (SOG).