ISI behind unrest in Kashmir on land tranfer issue: Bhim Singh

Jammu, Jun 26 (UNI) Pakistan's Inter-Service Intelligence (ISI) has plans to divide the people of Jammu and Kashmir on religious grounds and upset the state communal harmony, which has marginalised the affect of sponsored militancy in the past two decades, J&K National Panthers Party Chairman Prof Bhim Singh said here today.

Reacting to the polarised situation in the state on the issue of forest land transfer in favour of the Shri Amarnath Shrine Board in Kashmir, Prof Singh alleged that political parties, including the People's Democratic Party and National Conference (NC), were acting on the strategy devised by the ISI to disturb communal brotherhood in the state.

''I am sorry to learn the way violence has erupted in the state, especially in the Valley, which is known for Kashmiriat that portraits the communal harmony and hospitality. The PDP and NC are using innocent muslim brethren to settle their political scores,'' he said at a press conference.

''The majority community in Kashmir has always demonstrated their respects to all the religious places, may it be Amarnath, Mata Vaishno Devi, Charar-e-sharif, Shankracharya or Chhatipadshahi in the state. Even in 1947, they had refused to fall in the communal passion,'' he added.

As a solution to this disastrous situation in the state, Prof Bhim Singh appealed to the newly-appointed Governor N N Vohra to exercise his power and dismiss the Congress-PDP coalition government in the state. He further appealed to initiate action against political leaders for enticing people and spreading communal disharmony.

He also expressed pity on lawyers in Kashmir for resorting to ''street politics'' instead of choosing legal course.

Reading out the government order, Prof Singh said the forest land had not been transferred to the SASB permanently. ''It is not an acquisition of land,'' he said, asserting that the Cabinet ministers of PDP had also appreciated the move till their Party president returned from Pakistan.

The JKNPP chairman later appealed to the people in Kashmir not to fall in the ISI's plan to damage the social fabric of the state.

UNI VJ PY KN1312