‘If stone-pelting wrong in Kashmir, it’s equally wrong in Jammu’

Peoples Conference chairman SajadGani Lone on Monday said that if stone pelting is wrong in Kashmir, it is equally wrong in Jammu and should attract the same legal and administrative response.

“What is wrong in Kashmir cannot be deemed acceptable and tolerable in Jammu. Law and order is the subject of the state administration and they need to ensure there is zero tolerance for these mobs in Jammu and those who are involved are arrested and persecuted,” Lone told reporters here.

   

He added: “In 2016, I openly spoke against stone pelting in Kashmir, and now, I am speaking against the same in Jammu. It cannot be and should not be tolerated at any cost. The government needs to use the same yardstick everywhere.”

While condemning the mob violence in Jammu and other parts of the country against Kashmiris, Lone said, “Intimidation and harassment of Kashmiri students, professionals and families living outside Kashmir is unacceptable and cannot be passed off as a purportedly natural outburst. These incidents are tantamount to trivialising the enormous sufferings and the pain suffered by the people of Kashmir over the period of the last three decades, while their lives were engulfed by the scourge of violence”.

He added, “They (Kashmiri people) have been at the receiving end of the devastation that comes with a prolonged conflict and they have borne the brunt. To attack them, single them out and harass them is shameful and those behind such mob-mentality and bullying should be dealt with sternly.”

Asked about some people allegedly raising provocative slogans in Jammu, Lone said, “There cannot be more than 10 people who might have raised provocative slogans. But how can one forget that over 2500 personnel of Jammu and Kashmir police, countless political workers and the slain soldier Aurangzeb laid down their lives for the country. All of them were the residents of the same state. One cannot and should not paint the entire community by the same colour. There are miscreants in every community, but one must not forget the sacrifices of the majority of the people and good they have done.”

Talking about the safety of Kashmiris in other parts of the country, Lone said, “All state governments are duty-bound to ensure the safety and security of all Kashmiri students, professionals and families residing in their respective states and no laxity should be tolerated in this matter. I have spoken to various state government authorities and police authorities in various states and sought foolproof safety and security of Kashmiri students and families in those states.”

About concerns of the secretariat employees who were attacked with stones by violent mobs, Lone said, “The government needs to ensure safety of all citizens, including government employees. No one should feel threatened as Jammu and Kashmir is their home, their state. They (employees) do not have to leave. They need to be provided security by the administration”.

Later, Lone also met several Kashmiris in Jammu who have been feeling threatened due to mob violence, vandalism and arson. He spoke to them and assured them that he will talk to the authorities concerned and ensure their security.

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Lone said he “cannot support” the decision to withdraw security to separatists in Kashmir, noting his father was killed months after his security was “lowered”.

The security cover of six separatist leaders, including Lone’s elder brother Bilal Lone, was withdrawn Sunday, a decision that comes in the aftermath of the Pulwama strike in which 40 CRPF personnel were killed.

 “It is their (government’s) decision (withdrawing security to separatists) but personally, I have lost my father and I cannot support it because I will never support violence of any sort against anyone.”

“The security of my father was lowered in 2002 and after a few months, I received his body at home. I am not in a position to defend this decision (withdrawal of security),” the separatist-turned politician said, adding that “had I not been provided security, I would not have fought the elections because I would not have been alive then”.

Besides Bilal, the security cover of Mirwaiz Umar Farooq, Abdul GaniBhat, Hashim Qureshi, FazalHaq Qureshi and Shabir Shah has been withdrawn.

Replying to a question that the Hurriyat leaders are toeing the Pakistan line, Sajad Lone said it was also been said about him sometime back.

“Today I am being projected as an example… And give this example that had he not been given security, he should not have been alive today,” he said.

Sajad was a minister in the erstwhile PDP-BJP coalition government in Jammu and Kashmir. His party, the People’s Conference, is an ally of the BJP.  

The PC chairman said one should not be selective. “My father and Mirwaiz’s father were killed. I do not know what prompted this decision. Why they were provided security? There was no threat from the government side but they were provided security because there was threat to their lives from the same people who are your enemies as well.”

There was no justification for taking away their security, he said.

 “India is a great country and if they feel their enemy is facing a threat, they provide security to him and that is how India is distinctive in the world,” Sajad said.

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