Days after reviewing the security scenario in Jammu and Kashmir, Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh on Saturday said that the nation wants to see pens and computers in the hands of Kashmiri youths and not stones and firearms. Singh's comment comes amidst the unrest in Kashmir Valley following Hizbul Mujahideen commander Burhan Wani's killing in an encounter.
He was speaking at a rally organised in connection with Bharatiya Janata Party's Tiranga Yatra in Uttar Pradesh's Shahjahanpur district.
"We want to see pens and computers in the hands of Kashmiri youth and not stones and firearms. Humein kewal Kashmir ki zameen se mohabbat nahi hai, humein kashmir ke logon se bhi mohabbat hai. (We not only love the land of Kashmir, but also the people of Kashmir)," Singh said.
The minister also paid respects to freedom fighters Ram Prasad Bismil and Ashfaqulla Khan in Shahjahanpur. BJP's Tiranga Yatra, which began on Aug.15, will conclude on Aug. 22. The event is being celebrated by the BJP as a symbol of unity and social harmony.
On Tuesday, Singh had chaired a high-level meeting at the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) to discuss the continuing unrest in Kashmir Valley. National Security Advisor Ajit Doval, the Home Secretary and the Director of the Intelligence Bureau were also present in the meeting. The meeting was called in the wake of cross-border infiltration attempts on the Independence Day. A Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) officer was also killed and nine others were injured during terrorist attacks on Aug. 15.
A curfew was placed in Kashmir on July 9 in the wake of unrest that followed the death of Hizbul Mujahideen commander Burhan Wani.
