JKPCC welcomes Rajnath Singh's remark on pellet guns alternative

Srinagar, Aug 25 Kashmir Congress today welcomed Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh's statement that an alternative to pellet guns would be found in a few days, saying the Centre should ensure the replacement is non-lethal.

We welcome the initiative taken by Ministry of Home Affairs to ban pellet guns in Kashmir, Jammu and Kashmir Pradesh Congress Committee (JKPCC) president G A Mir said.

The party pressed for banning the pellet guns during the meeting with the Home Minister yesterday, besides recently during the meeting with Prime Minister Narendra Modi, he said.

The opposition has already demanded a ban on lethal pellets, as it has inflicted heavy damages, he added. Mir said the Home Minister should effect the ban at the earliest and also ensure that the alternative is not lethal.

It will be good on part of the Home Ministry to effect the ban at the earliest, he said. Mir also welcomed Singh's comments on an all-party delegation visiting Kashmir, saying although it was late, yet a welcome step.

Congress party, time and again, in both Lok Sabha and in Rajya Sabha has urged the Centre to send an all party delegation to Kashmir which will hold discussion with all shades of opinion, he said.

He termed the ongoing unrest in Kashmir as an outcome of backstabbing and betrayal to the people by the ruling PDP. The agenda of alliance between the PDP and the BJP in which both the parties had promised enough could not even keep a single promise, Mir said.

The contradiction in the approach of both the parties towards the issues they had agreed to resolve at the time of formation of the government has exposed their dual standards, he said. As a result, the Valley is seething in anger after having suffered heavy damages in every respect, he added.

PTI