JOIN USPrime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday expressed his strong disapproval of the remarks made by Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Mufti Mohammad Sayeed that gave credit to Pakistan, the separatists and the militants for the successful Assembly election in the state.
“If somebody makes such a statement, we can never support it,” Modi said in the Rajya Sabha replaying to Opposition members who demanded his response referring to the controversial remarks made by Sayeed who was sworn in as chief minister of a PDP-BJP coalition government on March 1.
Breaking the silence on the issue, Modi said the credit for the successful elections goes to the people of Jammu and Kashmir who “removed doubts” in the international community by turning up in large numbers with “overwhelming courage and pride” and “put their stamp of approval on what India had been saying all along”.
“I want to assure this House and 125 crore people of the country that the government formed in Jammu and Kashmir is based on the common minimum programme (CMP) and the government will run on its basis,” said the PM who was replying to the motion of thanks to the President's address.
Indicating that the incident was closed and the government intends to move ahead, he said, “If anyone gives a statement anywhere, and we have to answer... we won’t go in that direction. For us, we will move forward with our policies.”Modi asserted that his government “will move ahead with the policy of zero tolerance towards terrorism” and “all resolutions passed here (in Parliament) will be implemented in letter and spirit.”
Earlier, in the Lok Sabha, Home Minister Rajnath Singh reiterated that the Centre did not endorse the controversial remark of Sayeed. The Congress and other opposition parties continued to create uproar in the House on the issue for the second consecutive day. They were also protesting against demand by the PDP for return of the mortal remains of Afzal Guru, who was hanged and buried in Tihar Jail in 2013 after being convicted for his role in the terrorist attack on Parliament in 2001.
Speaker Sumitra Mahajan disallowed the Congress MPs’ demand for suspension of Question Hour, but allowed them to speak. Congress MPs Deepender Singh Hooda and K C Venugopal and Sougata Roy of the Trinamool Congress demanded that Modi should make a statement in the Lok Sabha on the controversy.