Bhabra: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday broke his silence on the unrest in Kashmir, indicating that he is willing to hold dialogue under the framework of 'insaniyat (humanity), jamhuriyat (democracy) and Kashmiriyat'.
While speaking at a rally in Madhya Pradesh, Modi said his government was following the path set by former PM Atal Bihari Vajpayee - an apparent answer to J&K chief minister Mehbooba Mufti who had raised the point.
"When Vajpayeeji was the Prime Minister he had adopted the path of insaniyat, jamhuriyat and Kashmiriyat and we walk the same road. I want to tell the brothers and sisters of Kashmir from this great birthplace of Chandra Shekhar Azad that Kashmir has the same strength that has been given to (other parts of) India by our freedom fighters. Kashmir has the same freedom that every Indian feels."
He said the rest of India loves the people of Kashmir, but there were certain elements that are hurting the tradition of 'Kashmiriyat'.
Appealing for peace and harmony, Modi asked the youth to treasure Kashmir as "heaven" on earth. "It is painful to see that youngsters, who should be holding laptops, books and cricket bats, have been handed stones," he said.
His statement comes a day after Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti urged the Centre to hold talks with Kashmiris, in the wake of violent protests that claimed several lives. He asserted that the Mehbooba Mufti-government and the Centre are working together to solve the state's problems.
The Centre has been facing the heat in Parliament for not speaking on the violence and curfew in Kashmir after the killing of Hizbul commander Burhan Wani.
Reacting to Prime Minister Narendra Modi's speech, former Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah tweeted "Herein lies the crux of the problem - the unwillingness to accept that development doesn't solve all problems."
Immediately after the Prime Minister delivered his speech, Omar had merely tweeted "finally" but, in a subsequent tweet, voiced his disagreement with Modi's view that development was the panacea for all problems, including the Kashmir issue.
(With inputs from PTI)
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