New Delhi, Sep 21: Hitting out at the Centre over the security situation in Jammu and Kashmir, the Congress Friday alleged that the NDA government was playing with the “crown of India” and treating the people of the state like “guinea pigs”.
Congress leader Abhishek Singhvi alleged that there had been a marked quantitative increase in ceasefire violations, deaths of security personnel, civilian killings, and militancy incidents in Jammu and Kashmir since the BJP came to power at the Centre and in the state.
He blamed the government for the deteriorating security situation in Jammu and Kashmir and cited the abduction and killing of three policemen and the reported resignations by police personnel in the state.
The Home Ministry, however, said Friday that no policeman has resigned in the state following the killing of the three police personnel by militants and described such reports as “false propaganda” by “mischievous” elements.
“There is a quantitative and qualitative change. The quantitative change is reflected in any of the four parameters — ceasefire violations, death of security personnel, civilian deaths, terror incidents,” Singhvi said.
It is “shocking” that 414 jawans have died since the BJP came to power at the Centre and in the state, he said.
Singhvi said, “256 civilians have died. As I have said on all parametres there is 100, 200, 300 percent increase. In the case of ceasefire violations, there is a 500 percent increase.”
He said the UPA had brought the state and its people in the mainstream, but the NDA government converted that mainstream into “midstream”.
Singhvi also accused the government of treating Jammu and Kashmir like a “laboratory experiment” and its people like “guinea pigs”.
“The government has betrayed each and every part of Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh,” the Congress leader said.
He alleged that to all the incidents of violence and deteriorating security situation, there was silence on the part of the government.
Singhvi alleged that mutilations have been on the rise since 2016 and also cited the recent killing of a BSF soldier who was found with his throat slit.
Congress also sought to take credit for the government’s decision to call off the meeting between External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj and her Pakistani counterpart Shah Mehmood Qureshi.
Asked about the decision to call off the talks, Singhvi told a press briefing, “Better late than never. And sometimes credit should also be given to us.”
“It is laughable to talk of government’s Pakistan policy. When the government of India talks about policy on Pakistan, it sounds like an oxymoron, a contradiction. Simply because there is no policy which we can point out.
“The great policy which Mr Modi’s government has perfected is the policy of ‘No Pak policy’. It is knee-jerk, it is episodic, it is momentary, it is transient, it depends on the mood of the moment,” Singhvi said.
