Rajnath, Jaitley discuss militancy, youth protests in JK
New Delhi/March,31:Home Minister Rajnath Singh on Friday accused Pakistan of trying to destabilize India and said “cross-border terrorist groups” in Jammu and Kashmir egged youths to stone security forces. In yet another related development Home Minister Rajnath Singh and Finance Minister Arun Jaitley also holding the charge of Defence portfolio discussed at length the recent youth protests in different parts of Kashmir valley.
“Not only the state of Jammu and Kashmir, the terrorists are trying to destabilize the whole country through their cowardice acts,” Rajnath Singh said in the Lok Sabha.
“The whole country is aware of this act of Pakistan. Our security forces are responding to them the way it is needed,” he added.
Singh’s response came after Trinamool Congress member Saugata Roy raised the issue during Zero Hour.
Responding, Rajnath Singh said: “A new trend has begun in Kashmir. When our security forces go to villages in search of terrorists, the youths of the region start pelting stones on security forces.
“Such stone pelters are being misled by Pakistan-sponsored forces.
“Groups operating from Pakistan use Facebook and social media platforms to arrange these crowds,” he said.
The minister appealed to the youths of Kashmir not to be misled by anti-national forces.
Meanwhile militancy and protests by locals at encounter sites in Kashmir came up for intense discussions at a high-level meeting chaired by Home Minister Rajnath Singh and attended by Defence and Finance Minister Arun Jaitley besides others.
During the hour-long meeting, top intelligence brass gave presentation on the prevailing situation in the State, which has seen spurt in militancy-related incidents in the past, and how to deal with it, official sources said.
Protests by locals at encounter sites, radicalisation of youths are other key issues which were deliberated at the meeting, also attended by National Security Advisor Ajit Doval, Union Home Secretary Rajiv Mehrishi.
Agencies
