J&K Opposition, separatists oppose separate township for Kashmiri Pandits

A day after Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Mufti Mohammad Sayeed announced land for Kashmiri Pandit migrants, JKLF chairman Yasin Malik on Wednesday opposed the building of a separate township, saying it will only build walls of hatred.

“A separate colony on the basis of religion will only build walls of hate, like in Israel,” Malik said, adding that Kashmiri Pandits have equal right to return to their ancestral land.

Slamming the move, the separatist leader said that state’s chief minister and RSS are playing with fire on the issue of separate colony.

“Since election the BJP via RSS has been talking about setting up satellite colony for Pandit brothers. Thousands of Kashmiri Pandits live happily here (Jammu and Kashmir), what fire are CM & RSS playing with saying separate colony?”

Siding with the separatists, National Conference said they do not support the move and that Centre’s decision is not important in the matter.

Saying that separate colonies for Kashmiri Pandits will be prone to militant attack, Senior NC leader Ali Mohammed Sagar asked, “Why do you want to create a spate of cantonment type colonies in the Valley?”

Hardline Hurriyat Conference termed setting up of proposed separate townships for Kashmiri pandits as “surrender by Chief Minister Mufti Mohammad Sayeed before the Centre.”

“The surrender of Sayeed before Home Minister Rajnath Singh over setting up of separate townships for Kashmiri pandits is surprising and unfortunate,” Hurriyat chairman Syed Ali Shah Geelani said in a statement.

The issue figured in Jammu and Kashmir Assembly which saw

some ugly scenes with independent MLA Engineer Rashid storming the well protesting against the plans of the state and central governments.

(With agency inputs)