Shiv Sena, NCP slam Centre over Kashmir killings

  BJP leaders are busy promoting films instead of heeding to the plight of Kashmiri Pandits, says Sanjay Raut.

Remarking that the situation in Kashmir was getting out of hand with the rise in killings of Kashmiri Pandits and attacks on the Hindu community, Shiv Sena MP Sanjay Raut on Sunday lashed out at the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government at the Centre for busily promoting films rather than heeding to the plight of the Valley’s Kashmiri Pandits.  

The Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) – the Sena’s ally in Maharashtra – too, hit out at the BJP-ruled Centre for not making “concrete efforts to rehabilitate Kashmiri Pandits in their homeland.”

“Kashmir is burning once again. It is red with blood. The situation there is getting out of hand, but New Delhi’s prominent leaders are busy promoting films, be it The Kashmir Files or Samrat Prithviraj. Is this the government’s job? Why aren’t they listening to the anger of the Kashmiri Pandits,” asked Mr. Raut.

He said that not just the Hindu community, but Muslims serving in the security forces, too, were being targeted by militants.

“At least 17-20 of our Muslim brothers serving in our country’s security forces have been killed in the last few months. Muslim policemen of all ranks – from havildar to Superintendent of Police from Srinagar to Pulwama – have been attacked by terrorists. Thousands of Kashmiri Pandits have again begun an exodus from the Valley, but the BJP at the Centre is busy finding shivlings under the Gyanvapi mosque or the Taj Mahal,” Mr. Raut said, remarking that the Centre’s claims of successful surgical strikes against militants had proven hollow with the rise in terrorist attacks in the Valley.

Given the tussle over ‘Hindutva’ in Maharashtra between the ruling Sena and the BJP, Mr. Raut said that Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray had expressed grave concern over the deteriorating situation in Kashmir and said that Maharashtra would stand by the Kashmiri Pandits and their families through thick and thin.

On Saturday, Mr. Thackeray, in a statement, said that Maharashtra would not leave the Kashmiri Pandits in the lurch.