J K News Today
Jammu, June 26:
Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh has clarified that the Ramzan ceasefire in Kashmir was “ not a mistake” but a decision taken in view of the sentiments of the people as also part of a strategy.
Rajnath Singh strongly defended the decision of ceasefire that was announced by him on May 16 on the eve of the beginning of the month of Ramzan in an interview with a weekly magazine “ The Week..” The magazine in its latest edition has carried the interview in which the major focus is on Kashmir .
Answering a question on the violence around Eid in Kashmir this year , Rajnath Singh said : “ It is not true that big attacks have not happened on Eid in the past. I don’t think that the ceasefire was a mistake.
It was a decision that was taken keeping in mind those people in Kashmir who wanted peace and wanted to celebrate the pious month of Ramzan in its true spirit.”
Explaining further the thinking that went in announcing the ceasefire, Rajnath Singh said : “ We are a democracy, so we have to take certain decisions for the people, keeping their sentiments in mind. Some decisions have to be taken under a strategy.”
The Home Minister made it clear in the interview to the magazine that the Modi Government was willing to talk to Hurriyat. “ We have said that we will talk to whoever is willing to talk to us. We will even talk to Pakistan if it wants to talk to us. But Pakistan should first address the problem of terrorism emanating from its soil. I have eben saying it that if Pakistan is realy serious in its fight against terrorism and acknowledges that it is unable to stop it. Then it should seek India’s cooperation. We are neighbouring countries and we can di it together.”
