National

‘Government opening way for third party interference’

NEW DELHI: Accusing the government of opening the way for “third party interference” in Kashmir, the CPI(M) on Saturday said the recent visits of the American and Israeli Army chiefs to the Valley showed that the UPA regime was “not bothered” about the message being sent through such moves.

“The people of the Kashmir Valley have had a direct experience of the nexus with the U.S. and Israel. It has opened the way for third party interference in Kashmir,” general secretary Prakash Karat said.

While Jammu was “paralysed” for a month and the government “did nothing,” the Kashmir situation was also being met with “only force and administrative measures.”

The message this would send to the people of the Valley and to all Muslim countries “is something that does not bother a government which sees the future of India through the prism of the U.S. neo-conservatives,” Mr. Karat said in an article in the latest issue of CPI(M) organ, People’s Democracy.

He said: “No government has lost credibility or legitimacy so rapidly in a short time as the Manmohan Singh government did, in the four-month period since the sordid goings-on to manufacture a majority in the trust vote.”

Referring to continued attacks on Christians and Muslims in different parts of the country, Mr. Karat said no action was being taken to curb the “lawless violence” by the Bajrang Dal and such outfits.

Even UPA partners like Lalu Prasad (RJD) and Ram Vilas Paswan (LJP) and the “sober advice” of Sharad Pawar (NCP) to act against the Bajrang Dal “could not move” the government.

Observing that the “refusal” to act against these outfits was not due to lack of evidence or political support. The CPI(M) leader said had action had been taken, every secular party outside the NDA would have supported it.

“Even the allies of the BJP like the JD(U) and the BJD would have found it difficult to oppose it. The failure to intervene in Kandhamal and bring the Bajrang Dal to book is the latest pusillanimous stand starting from the back-tracking and vacillations on the Babri Masjid issue,” Mr. Karat said.

Maintaining that the Centre also “seems oblivious of the widespread rounding up and harassment of Muslim youth whenever a terrorist blast takes place,” he said the police were “increasingly seen to be targeting” Muslims. “This has caused widespread anger and fear among the minorities. It cannot be denied that some Muslim youth are being drawn into groups who espouse extremist ideology and violence.” – PTI

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