Suhail Bhat
SRINAGAR Oct 24: The General Secretary of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), Ashok Koul, today said that Statehood for Jammu and Kashmir will be restored at an appropriate time, once terrorism ends, as promised by the Central Government.
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Ashok Koul made these remarks on the sidelines of a function at the party headquarters in Srinagar. He said that the restoration of Statehood would be based on specific parameters, including the end of terrorism.
Koul emphasized that both Home Minister Amit Shah and Prime Minister Narendra Modi have assured that Statehood will be restored when the appropriate conditions are met. “There will be a yardstick to determine the right time and Statehood will follow once it is fulfilled,” he said.
Koul condemned the recent attack in Ganderbal, which claimed the lives of six migrant workers and a local doctor, and said that attempts are underway to disrupt the peaceful environment that has prevailed in Jammu and Kashmir for the past five years. “For the first time in thirty years, peace had returned to Jammu and Kashmir. There were no terror incidents, markets remained open, and children could go to school. But now, attempts are being made to disturb this peace by attacking minorities, which is unacceptable,” he said.
Koul warned that these attacks could negatively affect the lives of children from Jammu and Kashmir residing across the country. “This must stop. Killing anyone-whether civilians or police-is inhumane. What is the fault of police officers? They are killed even when they go to pray at mosques. Such barbaric acts are unacceptable, and we strongly condemn them,” he added.
When asked about the National Conference’s claim of restoring Article 370, Koul dismissed the idea. “No Government can bring back Article 370. It will not be restored,” he said.
On the issue of talks with Pakistan, Koul said that dialogue cannot happen until Pakistan stops sponsoring terrorism. “As Atal Bihari Vajpayee said, we cannot change our neighbors. But unless Pakistan gives up terrorism and dismantles terror camps, dialogue is impossible,” he said.
Referring to the continued attacks on non-locals, Koul emphasized that some people are deliberately trying to prevent Jammu and Kashmir from prospering. “There are people here who do not want development, industry, or jobs for locals. They prefer putting stones in the hands of people. This is unfortunate, and the people of Jammu and Kashmir must recognize it,” he said.
Speaking on Dr. Farooq Abdullah’s recent stance on Indo-Pak dialogue, Koul said. “If Pakistan abandons terrorism, talks make sense. But if they continue with terror activities, talking is pointless. If Dr. Farooq understands this, we welcome it,” he said.
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