Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh said on Thursday that the Union government is ready to hold talks with “right-minded people” in Jammu & Kashmir and Pakistan, but the neighbouring country should stop terror activities emanating from its soil.
Singh, who is on a two-day visit to the state, said a decision on extending the ongoing suspension of operations against militants beyond Ramzan will be taken after reviewing the situation in Jammu and Kashmir.
“Dialogue can be held with everyone. It is not necessary to be like-minded to hold talks, but it is compulsory to be right-minded,” said Mr. Singh, offering an olive branch to the separatists.
Singh appealed to the people of Jammu and Kashmir to come forward for bringing back peace in the state. “Lest we might lose another generation of the state to the darkness,” he said.
Condemning the recent terror attacks, he said militants were not refraining from their nefarious activities even during the holy fasting month. “Those who are not giving up their nefarious activities even in the holy month of Ramzan, should their activities not be called unholy. I would like to say that to mislead the youth is not only deceit, but a crime,” he said.
Describing those hurling stones as our “own children”, he said it’s criminal to lead them astray. Without naming separatists, Mr. Singh said they should refrain from misleading the youth into violence. “They give education to their own kids and stones in the hands of other kids. I appeal to them to treat the kids of others just like they treat their own.”
As an independent media platform, we do not take advertisements from governments and corporate houses. It is you, our readers, who have supported us on our journey to do honest and unbiased journalism. Please contribute, so that we can continue to do the same in future.
