Two days after two Kashmiri dry fruit sellers were thrashed by a group of saffron-clad men in Lucknow, Prime Minister Narendra Modi Friday asked state governments to take stern action if there is any attack on people from Kashmir. He also called the Lucknow attackers “crazed people”.
Addressing a public meeting here, Modi brought up theLucknow incident and called the perpetrators “sirphirey log” (crazed people).
“It is very important to maintain an atmosphere of unity inthe country,” Modi said.
This is for the second time that the Prime Minister hasspoken over the attacks on Kashmiris in various states.
At a rally in Rajasthan on February 23, Modi had denouncedthe attacks on Kashmiris, saying “our fight is for Kashmir, not against it, notagainst Kashmiris.”
Soon after the February 14 Pulwama attack on a CRPF in which40 personnel were killed, several Kashmiri students and businessmen became atarget of attacks by rightwing groups in different states.
In some states, Kashmiri students and businessmen werethrashed and threatened to leave. It triggered fear among hundreds of Kashmirisliving in outside J&K, forcing many of them, particularly students, toreturn to the Valley.
“I would also like to request other state governments totake the strongest action possible wherever there is an attempt to do somethinglike this (in Lucknow),” the Prime Minister said.
At the same time, he congratulated the Yogi Adityanathgovernment for “acting promptly” over “what some crazed people did to our Kashmiribrothers” in Lucknow. The PM was referring to arrest of four accused by the UPpolice.
Modi’s latest statement came a day after the Lucknowincident led to an outrage across Kashmir, with political parties targeting thegovernment of India over the continued attacks on Kashmiris.
“Your (the Prime Minister’s) statement is not acted upon byyour people, or was it just a jumla? Modi sahib you will have to prove thatyour words carry weight and you will have to prove that when you speak as PrimeMinister your words are being acted upon,” National Conference vice-presidentOmar Abdullah had said on Thursday.
Peoples Democratic Party chief Mehbooba Mufti had allegedthat those attacking Kashmiris outside enjoy political support.
“You humiliate and assault Kashmiris. Make them feel likecriminals and that they don’t belong to this country. Why are you surprisedthen when young pliable men are taken under the wings of terror groups andindoctrinated?” she had tweeted.
Meanwhile, during Friday’s speech, Modi, in an apparentreference to remarks by opposition leaders after the recent air strikes acrossthe LoC, lashed at those “demeaning the valour displayed by the armed forces.”
“The valour shown by our armed forces after the Pulwamaattack was witnessed by the entire nation,” he said. “But it is very sad thatcontinuous efforts are being made back home to demean the valour of the armedforces. Today, when the entire world has built pressure on Pakistan and it hasbeen caught red-handed over terrorism, statements which help Pakistan are beingmade at this juncture.”
“Does this behove them (the political parties)?” he asked,addressing the meeting after flagging off commercial run on Lucknow Metro’sNorth-South corridor, through video conferencing from Kanpur itself.
“Do not forget that based on your statements Pakistan isspreading lies in the world,” Modi said. “The statements being issued forvested political interests and the language used are giving strength to theenemies of the country.”
Taking a dig at opposition parties, the Prime Ministercalled their proposed grand alliance “grand adulteration”.
He said they dislike him though he is fighting “a decisivewar against terrorism, corruption and poverty.”
Modi also symbolically laid the foundation stone for the Agra Metro Rail project at the event.