Kashmiri Pandits demand separate UT within Jammu and Kashmir

Jammu, May 14

Enraged over the murder of Rahul Bhat by militants amid targeted killings in the Valley, Kashmiri Pandits have demanded a separate UT for the community members in Kashmir. Panun Kashmir, an organisation fighting for homeland in the Valley for long, said a separate area designated for Kashmiri Pandits was the only solution to end the cycle of killings.

Its general secretary Kuldeep Raina, at a press conference in Jammu, said the killings of Pandits continued unabated in the Valley. “The employment package for Hindus was never an initiative for their rehabilitation in Kashmir but always a vicious process of making them a hostage to Pakistan-backed terrorism,” said the leader.

Govt responsible

The responsibility lies with the government. They have created a narrative that there is normalcy even if 10 people are killed. MY Tarigami, spokesperson, people’s alliance for Gupkar declaration

False claim

The administration of the UT claims that peace has prevailed across J&K but innocents are being killed everyday. Raman Bhalla, Cong’s J&K working president

Meanwhile, the Congress and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) held separate protests in Jammu. A protest was held at Shahidi Chowk in Jammu, condemning Pakistan and terrorism.

Congress’ J&K working president Raman Bhalla, condemning the killing of Rahul Bhat, said, “The administration claims that peace has prevailed in J&K but innocents are being killed everyday.”

The PDP, which also staged a protest, sought a committee to probe and expose those involved in the killing of Rahul Bhat. The protesters raised slogans against the administration.

BJP’s J&K chief Ravinder Raina said he along with a party delegation would meet Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha in Srinagar on Sunday regarding the security situation in Kashmir. “Bhat was serving Kashmiris and his killing is an inhuman act,” he added.

In Srinagar, a group of Kashmiri Pandit government employees staged a protest and demanded their relocation to safe places outside the Valley. Alleging that camps housing Pandit employees had been locked following the killing of Rahul Bhat, the protesters demanded that the authorities remove such restrictions on them.

In Baramulla, clashes broke out between the members of the community and the police as the protesters wanted to march outside the Veerwan Colony, but the police did not allow them. At the protest at Press Enclave, employees raised slogans against the administration. (With PTI inputs)