AMBALA, May 28: Indian politicians can sacrifice
everything to keep intact their votebank. What better way to appease
Muslim communal lobbies than alleging that the Pandits abandoned Kashmir
of their own. This is precisely what Mr Digvijay Singh, Congress Chief
Minister of MP, said at Jalandhar on May 25. The Chief Minister, who had
been called to speak at a special Shaheed Parivar Fund function, organised
by the Hind Samachar group of newspapers, left his audience stunned. He
claimed that the decision to shift Kashmiri Pandits from the Valley to
Jammu was a major historical mistake.
Haryana Panun Kashmir Working Committee Secretary
JL Koul condemned the statement of Mr Digvijay Singh. He said Mr Singh was
not aware of the ground realities in Kashmir and comparing its situation
with Punjab militancy was improper. Kaul said the policy of appeasement
pursued by the Congress in the state had backfired. Panun Kashmir leader
alleged that massive development funds released by the Central government
had led to amassing of wealth by politicians and bureaucrats in that
state. Kaul added that nobody leaves his place of origin by will and
blamed it on the weak policies of the government.