Kashmir unrest: Jaitley slams Pakistan, says India won't compromise with security

Jammu, Aug. 21 (ANI): Accusing Pakistan of being directly involved in the Kashmir unrest that has engulfed the Valley for almost two months now, Finance Minister Arun Jaitley on Sunday hit out at Islamabad and asserted that the security of India will not be compromised at any cost. Stating that Pakistan began to send terrorists to infiltrate into India after losing both the 1947 and the 1965 wars, Jaitley said that India had initially found it difficult to handle the situation but with time, overcame the hurdle. "After 9/11, everyone's hatred toward terrorism intensified and the whole world believed that one can't win through means of terrorism. Pakistan was told on an international scale to put an end to terrorism," he said. "In Jammu, when the Amarnath revolution in began in 2008, 2010, they started a new trend of stone pelting. Kids would fill their school bags with stones instead of books and attack security forces. If a troop of 8-10 police personnel is attacked by 200 men with 10, 000 stones what else is that except an attack. But then the nation emerged from that as well," the Finance Minister said. Talking the rampant state of violence in the Valley at present, Jaitley emphasised on the active involvement of Pakistan in the unrest, besides Separatists and divisive forces. "And once again, in a new way, the unity of this nation has been attacked," he added. Stating that the current crisis in the Valley is a major challenge for the nation, Jaitley said that India's need at the moment is absolutely no compromise on the security and the unity of the nation, adding that this strategy of Pakistan will be thwarted as well. "Under the leadership of Prime Minister Modi, we have three clear priorities for Jammu and Kashmir. First is that there will be no compromise with the security of this nation and those who threaten with violence. Secondly, the focus is on the development the state, which the Congress and the National Conference refused to address for seven years. And third, as BJP has a stronghold in Jammu, Nirmal Singh should think about gathering resources from the Centre to contribute to the state's development," Jaitley said. This development comes after the Jammu and Kashmir opposition submitted a memorandum to President Pranab Mukherjee yesterday over the unrest in the Valley stating that it needed a 'political' solution and asserted that Pakistan was not solely responsible for the state of violence. Asserting that both the State and the Central government have failed in finding a solution to the soaring violence in the Valley, NC chief Omar Abdullah said that the problem in the state is a political one and cannot be handled administratively. He emphasised that the unrest in the Valley stemmed from a political problem and that the situation cannot be handled administratively or by creating a humanitarian crisis. Further stating that it was ridiculous to blame Pakistan completely for the Kashmir unrest, he added that Islamabad was partially responsible in fanning the flames, but they were not solely to blame. Earlier, the Congress expressed concern over the current state in the Valley saying that the situation is sliding into 'total chaos' and called for a solution by the opposition. As many as 65 have been killed and thousands of civilians and security personnel reported injured in protest-related violence following the encounter of Hizb-ul-Mujahideen commander Burhan Wani on July 8. (ANI)