“The government and people must endorse and appreciate this positive gesture”
SRINAGAR: Senior leader of India’s ruling Congress party, Abdul Gani Vakil has praised separatist leaders in Kashmir for their “commendable” job in preventing communal violence that wreaked havoc in Kishtwar from spreading.
“Hurriyat never made any effort to fuel the fire which could have been detrimental to the state as well as to the country,” Vakil told a gathering of Congress workers in north Kashmir’s Sopore.
“The government and people must endorse and appreciate this positive gesture,” he said.
Vakil, a former minister and member of the All India Congress Committee, said his party had a history of fighting divisive forces with all its might.
Those damaging this ethos are big enemies of India who deserve no pardon, he added.
No Faith in VDCs
The congress leader, whose party rules the state in coalition with the National Conference party, has also called for disbanding the Village Defence Committees.
The role of these committees – civilian groups armed by the government to fight militants – has come into question following the Hindu-Muslim clashes in Kishtwar.
“Since the Chief Minister is claiming that militancy is on decline therefore it is inevitable to review the role of VDCs…as people all over the State has been claiming that there is now no relevance of VDCs,” he said.
“People have lost faith in them.”
