New Delhi : Finance Minister Arun Jaitley on Wednesday said the government is ready to talk to every section of Kashmir to normalise the situation there and to go ahead with the political process.
“We are ready to talk to everyone in Jammu and Kashmir. If some section is not ready to talk, we can talk to students, traders, traders associations, any political leader and Kashmiri people,” he told the media.
Jaitley said Home Minister Rajnath Singh has said that the Centre is ready to talk to whoever wants to talk in Jammu and Kashmir. “This is a good thing. It will push the political process ahead,” he said.
Welcoming the initiative, Jaitley said: “There is a proper intelligence network in Jammu and Kashmir in the last three years and Hurriyat has been exposed before Kashmiris for the first time.”
“After establishment of the intelligence network, Jammu and Kashmir Police and security agencies have been heavily dominating for the first time, and the result is that the terrorists are on the run.”
Asked if the government will talk to Pakistan, Jaitley said: “It is another matter. Pakistan will have to create the situation for the talks, and the people of Kashmir will not have to worry about this. The Home Ministry is talking to its people.”
He said the UPA government had no policy on Kashmir. They were just providing “band aid” support to the violence-hit state from time to time, Jaitley said.
