New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi urged chief ministers on Sunday to reach out to students from Jammu and Kashmir studying in universities in their states.
Modi also asked states to organize official events related to different states in Jammu and Kashmir and said state governments should interact with students from the border state at regular intervals.
“The Prime Minister suggested that states could organize events in Jammu and Kashmir and he seconded the Jammu and Kashmir chief minister’s suggestion that states should take interest in the students from her state who are studying in other states. He (Modi) urged states to reach out to these students from time to time,” said a government statement on Sunday. Modi was speaking at the third meeting of the governing council of Niti Aayog.
Modi’s intervention comes after students from Jammu and Kashmir were allegedly beaten up in Mewar University in Rajasthan last week after which home minister Rajnath Singh asked all state governments to ensure the safety and security of students from Kashmir across the country. Jammu and Kashmir chief minister Mehbooba Mufti is also expected to meet home minister Rajnath Singh on Monday to discuss the issue.
The alleged attacks has become a bone of contention between Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), and Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) led by Jammu and Kashmir chief minister Mehbooba Mufti.
Senior leaders of both parties admit that the alliance is facing a difficult phase because of the attacks and protests across Kashmir. “The chief minister is under tremendous pressure to take up the issue because of the continued instances of stone pelting and protests across Kashmir. The attacks on students in other states have also complicated the matters as a section of the PDP wants the chief minister to review the alliance with BJP,” said a senior PDP leader. Mufti is expected to raise the growing political differences between PDP and BJP during her meeting with Rajnath Singh.
Meanwhile, both BJP and PDP want senior leaders from BJP to intervene and end the differences between the parties. A senior BJP leader from the state argues that PDP is facing challenges from within because it is unable to meet the aspirations of the people of Jammu and Kashmir. “After the death of Mufti Mohammed Sayeed in January last year, Mehbooba Mufti is facing more pressure because this is the first time that she is holding a public office. People of the state had given a divided mandate that the two parties come together to form the government,” a BJP leader from Srinagar said.
A political analyst pointed out that these attacks have become a cause of concern for people of Jammu and Kashmir. “The instances of attack on students has continued from time to time but nothing has happened. Things are taking a turn for the worst. The government must keep an eye and action should happen against people involved in such attacks,” Jammu-based political analyst Ellora Puri said.