NCP hits out at Centre over killings in Kashmir

Mumbai: The Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) on Sunday hit out at the Centre over recent killings in Kashmir and said it made no concrete efforts to rehabilitate Kashmiri Pandits in their homeland.

NCP chief spokesperson Mahesh Tapase said that Home Minister Amit Shah should personally ensure the safety of all the Kashmiri citizens.

"The rise of insurgency once again in the valley targetting civilians is the failure of intelligence machinery in the valley. Home Minister Amit Shah should personally ensure the safety of all Kashmiri citizens," he stated.

Tapase said that the Centre has miserably failed to protect the lives of Kashmiri Hindus and Pandits while BJP leaders are busy promoting 'The Kashmir Files' movie.

He also said that Maharashtra was the only state which offered safe passage to the displaced Kashmiri Pandits while BJP only played with their sentiments.

"BJP should get over religion and caste-based politics and ensure safety, livelihood, and equality to the citizens of India," he said.

A bank manager, identified as Vijay Kumar, was shot dead by terrorists in the Kulgam district of Jammu and Kashmir on Thursday. Earlier, a 36-year-old Hindu woman teacher Rajni Bala, hailing from Jammu's Samba district, was shot dead by terrorists at a government school in Gopalpora, Kulgam. Two civilians - including Kashmiri Pandit employee Rahul Bhat -- and three off-duty policemen were killed in Kashmir by terrorists last month.

Shah also held a meeting on Friday with Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha and other top officials on security in Jammu and Kashmir. (ANI)