Asserting that the exodus of Kashmiri pundits from Jammu and Kashmir is perhaps one of the saddest chapters in post independent history, the Congress on Wednesday said anybody opposing their return to the home soil is perhaps the greatest anti-national act possible.
"It is extremely unfortunate that a very enlightened section of the Indian society that has contributed immensely to India in every manner became internally displaced people in their own country. We owe it to the Kashmiris to ensure that they go back to their homeland in an atmosphere of safety and security," Congress leader Manish Tewari told ANI.
Asserted that it was crucial to create a secure environment in which the pundits can return home, he added it is indeed unfortunate that this tragedy took place when there was a national front government at the Centre supported by both BJP and the Left.
Earlier, the government had said that it favoured the creation of a "conducive atmosphere" for the Kashmiri pundits to go back to the Valley.
Suggesting that the migrants should be inspired to go back to their place of birth, Minister of State in Prime Minister's Office Jitendra Singh said the very culture of Kashmir, the composite culture which the Kashmir boasts of, is incomplete without the presence of Kashmiri Pundits over there.
However, it came as a shock when Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti said there is no land in Kashmir for making Sainik colonies and there is no question of making exclusive colonies for Kashmiri Pundits in the valley, adding that if there is a proposal it will have to be the one where everyone is allowed to live together.
There are about 62,000 registered Kashmiri Pandit families, who migrated from the Valley due to the onset of militancy in Jammu and Kashmir in the early 1990s.
About 40,000 registered Kashmiri migrant families are living in Jammu, around 20,000 in Delhi-NCR and about 2,000 families are settled in other parts of the country.