Nagpur, Oct 15 : Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) chief Mohan Bhagwat on Friday said terrorists were carrying out “targeted killings” in Jammu and Kashmir to instill fear, and asserted that military preparedness on the borders must remain very high.
Addressing the annual Vijayadashmi rally of the Sangh at Reshimbagh Ground here, he also called for a reformulation of the National Population Policy and also touched on the issue of control of Hindu temples.
Consul General of Israel at Mumbai Kobbi Shoshani, Union minister Nitin Gadkari and BJP leader Devendra Fadnavis were also present at the event.
Bhagwat in his speech also stressed the need to regulate OTT platforms and expressed concerns over `uncontrolled’ cryptocurrencies and the drug menace.
Referring to his recent visit to Jammu and Kashmir, the RSS chief said after the nullification of the special status of Jammu and Kashmir under Article 370, common people there were reaping benefits. But efforts were now needed for emotional integration of the region with the rest of the country.
“The minds should connect. The relation of any Indian with the country is not a business transaction. We need to inculcate that feeling in the minds of people of Kashmir,” Bhagwat said.
The government and people are working towards it and these efforts should be stepped up, he added.
“After (the nullification of special provisions under Article 370), the fear of them (terrorists) has vanished. But since they use fear to achieve their means, it is important for them to bring back that fear.
“This is why they (terrorists) resort to targeted killings to demoralize, like they did before. Their objective is to again instill fear,” Bhagwat said.
The government has to deal with this effectively, he added.
His statement came in the wake of the killings of at least seven civilians in Jammu and Kashmir by militants in a span of five days earlier this month. Of those killed, four belonged to minority communities.
Speaking about the Taliban takeover of Afghanistan, Bhagwat said their predisposition — “passionate fanaticism, tyranny and terrorism in the name of Islam” — is enough to make everyone apprehensive of them.