Srinagar: Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha Saturday invoked teachings from Quran and Hadith to emphasize the importance of peace, even as he urged the people to isolate the elements inimical to peace and calm.
Speaking at the foundation stone laying ceremony of a new guest house at Dargah Hazratbal here, LG Sinha, according to the news agency KNO cited verses from Surah Nissa and emphasized that Islam teaches peace and togetherness.
“Among the names of Allah in the Quran is ‘Arsalan’— meaning peace and security. Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) repeatedly emphasized that the path to Allah is peace. Jannat is called Darul Salam —the abode of peace. Jammu and Kashmir, too, has always been Darul Salam.”
“Some people have left no stone unturned to destroy this Darul Salam (J&K) and all of us know who they are. They need to be punished for their misdeeds,” he added.
Sinha said that April 22, Pahalgam terror attack wounded the soul of India. “The victims were asked their religion before being killed. It was an attempt to destroy the soul of Kashmir,” he added.
Sinha made these remarks as he laid the foundation stone of Guest House at Dargah Hazratbal in Srinagar.
Extending his felicitations to members of Jammu & Kashmir Waqf Board and all stakeholders, he said in the past few years the basic facilities for the pilgrims have seen tremendous improvement and the infrastructure development has eased the pilgrimage to Hazratbal, a revered spiritual center.
In his address, the LG, according to an official press release, called upon the people to ensure that “we rid the society of elements aiding and abetting terrorists, bring the terror elements hiding among the public to justice” and the infrastructure and other projects must be given a new impetus to meet the developmental needs of the people.
Paying homage to the innocent civilians killed in Pahalgam, the LG said, “Operation Sindoor avenged the Pahalgam terror attack by punishing terror state Pakistan and firmly enforced India’s zero-tolerance policy towards terrorism.”
He said “the brave soldiers of our armed forces have not only destroyed the terror factories deep inside Pakistan but have also drawn a new red line.
“Now any terror attack will be considered an ‘act of war’ and Pakistan will be given the harshest punishment for it, he further added.
“We need to strike hard at the terror ecosystem. The aides of terrorists should be identified and they should be given the same punishment as a terrorist for inflicting wounds on the soul of J&K.
“After the terror attack in Pahalgam, the kind of protests that were seen on the J&K’s streets against the terrorist country Pakistan were historic. The valley echoed with slogans against terrorism,” the LG said.
The LG also called for collective efforts to foster the spirit of ‘Ek Bharat Shreshtha Bharat’ and promote unity across the diverse communities. He said statements like “the guests are spoiling the culture of J&K” or “demographic invasion” are truly problematic and the public should oppose such statements.
“I appeal to those in positions of responsibility in Jammu Kashmir to stop using the phrases like local and non-local. We all are Indians. Stop dividing Indians into local and outsiders. You should work to unite people so that a united society can take Jammu & Kashmir to the greater heights of growth,” the LG said.
The LG prayed that Prophet Muhammad (PBUH), Baba Amarnath may shower their blessings and strengthen the love, peace and brotherhood in the society.
Dr Darakhshan Andrabi, chairperson J&K Waqf Board; Nalin Prabhat, DGP; Vidhi Kumar Birdi, IGP Kashmir; Vijay Kumar Bidhuri, Divisional Commissioner Kashmir; members of the J&K Waqf Board, senior officials, religious leaders, prominent citizens and people in large numbers were present.
