Home coming of Kashmiri Pandits should be moral duty, not political aim: BJP

Srinagar(Jammu and Kashmir), Jan.19(ANI): The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Thursday extended its support over the petition filed in favour of bringing the Kashmiri Pandits back in the Valley, stating that the action was long overdue and that the exiled groups should also be guaranteed a secured livelihood. BJP leader Ravindra Raina told ANI "An environment of terror and insecurity has prevailed in the valley for 27 years. Today after 27 years Mr. Omar Abdullah has requested everybody in the assembly that endeavour must entail all those sects who were mercilessly waived out of the valley. The BJP leader further stressed that everyone be it Kashmiri Pandits, Sikhs or the nationalist Muslims who were waived out by the separatist and terrorist groups, must be brought back and their safe home-coming must be ensure. "It should not be our political aim but our moral duty. The issue marks a big blot in the history of Indian democracy. If post 27 years of the exodus, Kashmiri Pandits still can't stay in their own homes, it will be amongst the biggest failure on part of the largest democracy of the world. They should not only be brought back but be assured of a secure livelihood," Raina added. On the 27th anniversary of exodus of Kashmiri Pandits, the Jammu and Kashmir Assembly on Thursday passed a resolution for their return to the Valley. Former chief minister and National Conference leader Omar Abdullah moved a resolution for return of Kashmiri Pandits to the Valley. "Today it has been 27 years since they left the valley. The government should pass a resolution so that all those people will return to Kashmir," Omar told the assembly. He also said that all political parties should rise above politics and pass a resolution to create an atmosphere so that all those who have left Kashmir could return. Ethnic cleansing of Kashmiri Pandits was an event that occurred on January 19, 1990, when most of the Pandit families were forced to flee from Kashmir Valley due to outbreak of terrorism. The estimate of Pandits having fled from Kashmir ranges from approximately one lakh to as high as eight lakh. (ANI)