Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh said on Thursday that the Centre is ready to hold talks with “right-minded people” in Jammu and Kashmir and Pakistan, but the neighbouring country should stop terror activities emanating from its soil.
He also said if Pakistan was unable to stop terrorism from its soil on its own, it should take India’s help.
Mr. Singh is on a two-day visit to the State, along with Union Minister of State Jitendra Singh and Union Home Secretary Rajiv Gauba, to review the security situation.
Olive branch
“Dialogue can be held with everyone. It is not necessary to be like-minded to hold talks, but it is compulsory to be right-minded,” said Mr. Singh, offering an olive branch to the separatists.
He said the Centre was ready to talk with all people and groups concerned. It had appointed a special representative for holding dialogue with all stakeholders. “The special representative has not been appointed for sightseeing. He has come here 11 times so far,” Mr. Singh told reporters here.
The Home Minister was referring to the appointment of Dineshwar Sharma as special representative to Jammu and Kashmir in October last year.
Mr. Singh appealed to the people to come forward for bringing back peace in the State. “Lest we lose another generation of the State to darkness,” he said.
Ceasefire plan
On whether the unilateral ceasefire announced by the Centre would be extended beyond Ramzan, he said a decision would be taken after reviewing the situation.
“The Prime Minister [Narendra Modi] took a decision on the suspension of operations during Ramzan after giving it due thought.”
“We kept in view the situation of the common people of Jammu and Kashmir... A decision on extending the truce will be taken after having all opinions on board. Don’t rule out any possibility,” he said.
Asked what feedback security officials had given about the ceasefire, Mr. Singh said, “Good things were spoken about it.”
Condemning the recent terror attacks, he said militants were not refraining from their nefarious activities even during the holy fasting month.
“Those who are not giving up their nefarious activities even in the holy month of Ramzan, should their activities not be called unholy. I would like to say that to mislead the youth is not only deceit, but a crime,” he said.
On Pakistan, the Home Minister said some powers were covertly or overtly using terrorism. “They should understand that terrorism has no religion... When it will devour whom no one can say with certainty,” he said.
He said India was the only country where all important religions of the world were being practised.
“There is no Islamic country in the world that has all the 72 sects of Islam. If there is any country where all these sects can be found, it is India. (Then why) so much of hatred for India,” he said.
Describing stone-throwers as our “own children”, he said it’s criminal to lead them astray. Without naming separatists, Mr. Singh said they should refrain from misleading the youth into violence. “They give education to their own kids and stones in the hands of other kids. I appeal to them to treat the kids of others just like they treat their own,” he said.
The Home Minister said concerned about the plight of those “misled” into stone-pelting, the Centre has decided to withdraw cases against nearly 10,000 persons who were involved in stone-pelting for the first time.
Mr. Singh held a security review meeting with Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti and senior security officials, besides meeting Governor N.N. Vohra.
(With PTI inputs)