The Hindu : BJP condemns threat to women in J&K

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Wednesday, Jan 22, 2003

National

National

BJP condemns threat to women in J&K

By Our Special Correspondent

NEW DELHI JAN. 21. The Bharatiya Janata Party has condemned the recent threats issued by some militant organisations in Kashmir asking women to wear the `burqa' (veil) and not to go for work. The party also took note of the `diktat' issued to doctors to leave Jammu and Kashmir.

The party spokesperson, Arun Jaitley, admitted that similar threats had been issued when the previous National Conference Government, ally of the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance Government at the Centre, was in power. But the State Government could no longer ignore this and "must respond adequately'' if the militants were not to be encouraged or emboldened.

Accepting that the State required a "healing touch'' which the newly-elected Government of Mufti Mohammad Sayeed had been talking about, Mr. Jaitley said there must also be a healing touch for the victims of terror. This was in the context of the BJP's oft-repeated charge that the Mufti Government was "soft on terror,'' a charge that the latter has rejected pointing out that it has been releasing innocent men incarcerated in prisons and not terrorists against whom there are specific charges.

Mr. Jaitley said that even as the militants had issued threats in Kashmir, in Islamabad, India's senior-most diplomat, Sudhir Vyas, had been harassed by Pakistani agents. He was confident that the Government would deal with the matter appropriately.

Printer friendly page
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

National