Union Minister M. Venkaiah Naidu on Monday ruled out the possibility of holding talks with Kashmiri separatists, calling them “destructive and obstructive” and alleging they receive funds from Pakistan to stoke unrest in the valley.
“Why we should have discussions with the separatist leaders? Every day they (Pakistan) are giving training to the terrorists, provoking them and sending them into our country,” Naidu said, speaking at an event here.
“They are sending money to the separatist leaders…. and we have seen it,” he said, referring to an NIA probe into alleged cross-border terror funding to Kashmiri separatist leaders for organising stone pelting protests.
“I don’t know what is this disease of stone pelting,” Naidu said.
“We are collecting stones to construct infrastructure there but they are trying to destroy it,” the Minister said.
“We are constructive, and they are destructive and obstructive,” the Information and Broadcasting Minister said.
“This is the kind of mentality we are seeing in the people of the country,” Naidu added.
His comments come as the government has said it is working towards a “permanent solution” to Kashmir.
