Noting that the popular mood in Kashmir was in favour of peace and end of terrorism, Union minister Jitendra Singh said Saturday that whoever considered herself an Indian and a friend of Kashmir would support the Centre's actions in the valley to restore peace.
He said Pakistan was left isolated at the global level after the Pulwama terror attack, in which 40 CRPF men were killed, mainly due to Prime Minister Narendra Modi's personal outreach.
He said Modi, after assuming office in 2014, had pledged a policy of zero tolerance towards terrorism, which he was carrying forward to wipe out the menace from the state.
"The popular mood in Kashmir is in favour of peace and end of terrorism which is not compatible or suitable with interests of some Kashmir-centric politicians who have only thrived in the atmosphere of mayhem," the minister of state in the Prime Minister's Office told reporters here.
He was reacting to the recent statements of PDP chief Mehbooba Mufti and National Conference vice president Omar Abdullah over the withdrawal of security to separatists and a crackdown on them in the valley.
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"Whoever considers herself an Indian and a friend of Kashmir will support the move (actions being taken by the Centre). The so-called mainstream politicians from Kashmir are the enemies of the state," he said.
Singh said the entire country wanted a decisive battle against terrorism and added that the coming generations would remember that some politicians supported terrorism just for their interests.
Asked whether action was being taken in view of the Centre's plan to abrogate Article 35A, he said, "I do not want to comment on Article 35A but the steps which are being taken are part of a comprehensive strategy to root out terrorism."
"The action was not taken with some political interest in mind. The campaign against terrorism was going on and it has picked speed after the Pulwama attack. It is part of the plan," he said.
He claimed the Kashmir-centric leaders find their politics thriving and surviving in the atmosphere of terrorism and militancy.
"They have been ruling the state in an atmosphere of political vacuum over three to four generations. The people of Kashmir, the man walking on the streets of Srinagar has moved on and wants peace to be restored," Singh said.
He said there was a new generation of Kashmiris after 1995 who were both voters and contestants for elections and every year there were Kashmiri boys and girls qualifying national-level competitions.
Singh said even after the Pulwama terror attack huge crowds were turning up for the Army's recruitment drive.
On Mufti's tweet over the arrest of separatists that one could imprison a person but not his ideas, he said, "As far as we are concerned, the idea is India and those who do not subscribe to the idea of India, I do not know what idea they are talking about."
"Anybody, who is proud to call herself an Indian, will go by what is happening in the war (against terrorism) because it is a collective war regardless of our political affiliations and ideologies," he said.
On the statement of US President Donald Trump, the minister said he did not have a mandate to speak publicly on it but as a "responsible office bearer of this government, I can say whatever the government decides would be in the best interest of the country."
"We should better leave it to wisdom and discretion of the ministries of external affairs, defence and home affairs. Whatever is decided and happens in the days and weeks to come, will be keeping in mind sovereignty, security and the best interest of India," he said.
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