Early Times Report
SRINAGAR, Sept 29: The Congress high command and its state unit in JK issued contradictory statements over India's surgical strikes on Pakistan on Thursday, as the party chairperson Sonia Gandhi terming the attack as a 'strong message' sent to Pakistan while its JK unit termed the incident 'no solution to any problem'.
In a statement, Sonia Gandhi said a "strong message" has been sent with the surgical strikes, while insisting that Pakistan bears a "great responsibility" in the continuing cross-border attacks in India.
Moreover, the 10-Janpath hailed the military response which signals a shift in India's oft-practised policy of strategic restraint.
"We congratulate the Indian Army for undertaking surgical strikes on terror launch pads. We stand completely behind our Armed Forces," senior Congress leader Ahmed Patel said.
Randeep Singh Surjewala, chief spokesperson of the Congress, said, "The Congress wholeheartedly supports the surgical strike on terror pads in PoK by the Indian Army. Salute the valour of our armed forces."
Congress leader Manish Tewari on Wednesday had said, "Response has to be such as deters Pakistan's deep state from staging further terror attacks in India. So far India's responses--the stated review of the Indus Water Treaty, Most Favoured Nation status to Pakistan and boycott of Saarc summit in Islamabad have only been from sublime to ridiculous in nature. The Indus response is long-term. The MFN status must be immediately withdrawn and boycott of Saarc is no answer. The government should in fact work to amend the Saarc charter which prohibits change in summit venue to see that the summit is held but without Pakistan. Most of all, we are yet to see evidence of the muscularity PM Narendra Modi had flaunted on the eve of the 2014 General Elections."
However, the statement issued by the Jammu and Kashmir Pradesh Congress Committee (JKPCC) chief was contradicting what Party high command had been saying.
Congress chief here stated that war cannot be solution to any problem as every issue can be settled through peace and reconciliation process. The Party said that dialogue is the only way forward to settle issues on internal and external front.
Congress also blamed both Centre and State government for the current unrest and expressed anguish over the deteriorating situation; this was stated by JKPCC Chief G.A. Mir while addressing a meeting of PCC Executive of Kashmir province, in Srinagar on Thursday.
Those who addressed the meeting included Former PCC President Peerzada Syed, former Minister Taj Mohi-ud-Din, MLC & Vice President G. N. Monga, Amreen Badre, spokesperson Farooq Andrabi, MLA Usman Majeed, MLA Amin Bhat, MLA Gulzar Ahmad Wani, senior leader Khemlata Wakhloo, Raman Matoo, general secretary Hilal Ahmad Shah, Nazir Ahmad Khan, Shameema Iqbal, District Presidents Ab. Gani Khan, Ab.Qayoom Shah, Aftab Ahmad Beigh, Haji Farooq Mir, Gulam Mohd Ganie, Secretaries Iran Naqib, Nissar Ahmad Khan, Mohd Sultan, Imtiyaz Ahmad Khan, Sahil Farooq, Jawahira, Aslam Laigoro, Haroon Rashid, Bilal Ahmad Kongwani, Mushtaq Ahmad Khanday, Shameema Raina, Dr. Syed Ahmad, Amiral Rasool, Fayaz Ahmad Malik, Yosuf Bhat and Aijaz Ahmad Sheikh. |
