Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, May 23: Pradesh Congress Committee Congress has sought a clarification from the Union Defence Minister, Manohar Parrikar over his remarks ‘terrorists have to be neutralised only through terrorists’ and accused him of “reviving the notorious counter-terrorist outfit”.
In a press statement here today the Congress Legislature Party Leader and former Minister, Nawang Rigzin Jora said, “What does Mr Parrikar mean when he says a terrorist can be a neutralized by a terrorist. When he says, why should my soldiers do it all the time? Does he mean the State Government should revive the notorious counter-terrorist outfit?”, the CLP leader asked.
“There could be a clandestine yet well-thought out plan to revive the counter insurgent outfit, and the Defense Minister, given his lack of experience in handling such clandestine mission leaked out the information inadvertently,” he alleged.
“If this is the case, it would be very unfortunate because the past decade has seen sharp decline in acts of militancy without the need for such counter insurgent outfits,” the CLP leader maintained.
Mr Jora expressed disappointment at one of the senior-most ministers of the Modi Government who on his visit to the State chooses to use a language that is unbecoming of the high office he holds.
“Whether it is the soldiers of the Defense forces, Paramilitary or the Police force of the State, they are all our soldiers, our personnel, our policemen. All of them have sacrificed their lives for the unity and integrity of this country. More so, in Kashmir than anywhere else,” he said.
The Congress leader said that the responsibility to wipe out militancy from the State lies with the Centre and State collectively. Therefore, for the Defence Minister to distinguish `my soldiers’ from the rest of the security forces and to say why should my soldiers do it all the time, is not just uncalled for but also an attempt to create a wedge between the foot soldiers of different wings of the Government,” Mr Jora remarked.
“What if tomorrow the Union Home Minister ends up saying why should my CRPF or BSF jawans do it all the time. The fact that State police alone cannot handle militancy and insurgency of the kind that has been prevalent in the Valley is not lost on anyone, least of all on the Defense Minister of the country,” he said.
The Congress leader pointed out that Mr Parrikar cannot be responsible for his soldiers alone. He also took a dig at Chief Minister Mufti Mohd Sayeed for buckling under pressure in front of its coalition partner.
“It would be a sad day if Mufti Sayeed, under pressure from his coalition partner BJP, has to do so. It was Mufti who had disbanded the outfit claims, when he was in coalition with Congress,” Mr Jora added.
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