NEW DELHI: Union Minister Jitendra Singh today hit out at people indulging in anti-India activism and said that there will be no compromise on India’s policy of zero tolerance against terrorism.
Against the backdrop of surgical strike by Indian Army, he said that there should be no compromise on the dignity of security forces.
“I have no hesitation to say that consciously or unconsciously a message has gone around in India that there is a premium on anti-India activism. There is also a premium of anti-India intellectualism because as a nation we have failed to draw a bottom line of our nation’s ethos. If I am Indian and I call myself Indian why should there be any hesitation?” asked Singh, Minister of State in the Prime Minister’s Office.
He was addressing a symposium on “70th Accession Day of Jammu and Kashmir with India”.
“Jammu and Kashmir is an integral part of India and if at all there is any issue, it is how to retrieve the parts of Jammu & Kashmir which continues to be under illegal occupation of Pakistan even after 70 years of independence,” said Singh, Lok Sabha member from Udhampur constituency in J&K.
He said as far as the government of India is concerned, there is no compromise on terrorism. There is zero tolerance on terrorism and also no compromise on the sovereignty of India.
“Importantly, there is no compromise on the dignity of security forces. Let’s dedicate this Diwali to Indian armed forces who are securing our borders while we are sitting here,” the Minister said.
In an apparent dig at those claiming human rights of terrorists like Burhan Wani being killed in Jammu and Kashmir, Singh said human rights of our soldiers are more important than that of terrorists.
“Before we think of human rights of terrorists, or perpetrator or sponsor of terrorists we have to first honour and justify our respect for those who protect us…Now the time has come to face the reality in Jammu and Kashmir and catch the bull by its horn,” he said.
Parts of the Kashmir valley are facing violence after security forces killed Wani, a terrorist of Hizbul Mujahideen outfit, on July 8.
He also criticised separatists for allegedly prompting the youth to become stone pelters.
“I fail to understand if stone pelting, and all these, is such a pious work and it gets you heaven then why don’t these separatists announce that at least one child from their family would become stone pelter and would go to ‘jannat’ (heaven)?
“I would have respected the separatists leader of Kashmir much more than I do if I could convince myself that they are separatists by conviction,” said Singh.
He said some separatists have been members of main political party and a few others have been legislators. “Almost all of them also take advantage of all the provisions of Indian Constitution,” the Minister said, adding “separatism has in itself become politics by other means”. (AGENCIES)
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