Says Pakistan sponsoring terrorism, ensuring infiltration into Kashmir
Talks with separatists in Jammu and Kashmir are a possibility but these have to take place without any pre-conditions, Union Home Secretary Rajiv Mehrishi said today.
Mehrishi, who is demitting office tomorrow, also refused to blame the Haryana Government for its alleged failure in handling the law and order situation after the conviction of the Dera Sacha Sauda chief, saying that it was not proper to judge any situation sitting in Delhi as law and order was a “live and dynamic situation”.
On the possibility of talks with separatists, he said Home Minister Rajnath Singh had made it clear “many, many times” that the Central government was open to dialogue in Kashmir.
“We want to talk,” he said. “I don’t think that any talks can take place with pre- conditions,” Mehrishi told in an interview while replying to a question on whether the Centre was inclined to holding talks with separatists in J&K without any pre-conditions. He said there was “no doubt” that Pakistan had been sponsoring terrorism in Kashmir through various ways, including funding militants. “Pakistan is sponsoring terrorism, Pakistan is ensuring infiltration into Kashmir and Pakistan is funding terrorism in Kashmir,” he said.
Asked about the alleged alienation of Kashmiri youth, Mehrishi said alienation was a “concept of Delhi media” and the real issues for Kashmir were terrorism and radicalisation. “Radicalisation and terrorism are the main issues, which we are dealing with. As Chief Minister (Mehbooba Mufti) had said that 95 per cent of the people in Kashmir want peace. The youth in Kashmir have the same aspiration, like any youth in the rest of India, of good education, good job and a good life,” he said.
The Home Secretary said the probe conducted by the National Investigation Agency (NIA) into the terror funding to Kashmiri separatists had its desired impact and it had been reflected in the activities of separatists and stone-throwers.
Referring to the ongoing NIA probe on terror funding, he said the agency was carrying out a “free and fair” investigation and that would be taken to its logical conclusion. “Action will be taken against all those who are found guilty as per law,” he said.
Asked to comment on the recent violence in Haryana after the conviction of Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh, Mehrishi said the law and order situation was a “live and dynamic situation” where the administration and police dealt with human beings and only a person in the field could make an assessment about how to handle a situation.
“It is neither advisable nor possible and it is foolhardy to judge the handling of a situation sitting here in Delhi,” he said. “No officer wants deterioration in the law and order situation in his area. No chief minister wants deterioration in law and order in his state,” he said.
Asked about the recent standoff between the Indian and Chinese forces in Doklam and Ladakh, the Home Secretary said the Indo-Tibetan Border Police, which comes under the Home Ministry, was not deployed in Doklam but in Ladakh only.
“The standoff-like situation in Ladakh keeps happening. There was no extraordinary situation,” he said.
Asked about the alleged Hindu terrorism, he said terrorism should not be linked with any religion. “Terrorism is terrorism. It should not be linked with any religion. No religion allows terrorism. Those who indulge in terrorism in the name of religion are only bringing a bad name to religion,” he said.
