National Conference president Farooq Abdullah Monday said that safe transit of stranded Kashmiris from Jammu to the Valley “is our priority”.
In a statement, a National Conference spokesman said Abdullah has been personally overseeing the relief and rescue operation and “ensure safe transit of more than 2500 small and big vehicles to Kashmir over the past two days”.
“The party has geared up its provincial team of Jammu including its additional general secretary Sheikh Mustafa kamal and provincial president Devender Singh Rana in its response to the exigencies following the incidents of arson and sporadic violence in some parts of Jammu,” the statement read.
Addressing people at Makkah Masjid here, Farooq urged the stranded passengers to “have faith and belief in the age-old traditions of brotherhood and bonhomie”.
He (Farooq) also applauded the efforts of local people and other communities who came forward to help the stranded Kashmiris, the statement read.
“I am moved by the compassion of various groups and communities who have come forward to the rescue of stranded Kashmiris. The efforts need to be replicated across all sections of the society and measures like these are a befitting reply to those forces which are inclined to destroy our unity,” he said.
Meanwhile, Farooq under his vigil managed safe transit of stranded passengers including 80 students to Kashmir for the second consecutive day, the NC statement read.
Farooq said he would be staying put in Jammu till the situation returns to normal.
Meanwhile, Abdullah Monday took up the security-related issues of students from Kashmir Valley with chief ministers of Punjab, Rajasthan and Uttarakhand and urged them to ensure their safety and well-being.
Expressing concern over threats and intimidation to the Kashmiri students in various states, Abdullah spoke on phone with Punjab chief minister Amrinder Singh, Rajasthan chief minister Ashok Gehlot and Uttarakhand chief minister Trivendra Singh Rawat and urged them to take “appropriate measures for instilling sense of security among them”, a National Conference spokesman said in a statement.
“The students are in panic and fearing for their lives,” Abdullah told the chief ministers, adding that security is “needed to be beefed up in the areas they are staying while anti-social elements must be booked for their intimidating tactics”.
The chief ministers of the three states shared the concern of Abdullah and informed him about various steps taken in this regard, the statement read, adding: “They assured him that all necessary measures have been put in place to ensure the safety of Kashmiri students”.
Meanwhile, Abdullah reiterated his appeal to the people of Jammu to maintain “their high traditions of secularism, amity and brotherhood”.
“There is a need for isolating elements inimical to peace and inclusive character of Jammu by maintaining unity and tranquility,” he said. “Foiling attempts of anti-social elements together by the people belonging to various segments society is need of the hour,” he said and hoped that “sagacious people of Jammu will rise to the occasion and not play into the hands of those dividing the society”.