By Agence India Press,
New Delhi: Home Minister P. Chidambaram on Thursday strongly condemned the brutal killing of a 20-year-old girl by unidentified gunmen in South Kashmir’s Shopian district and took on the separatists for their silence on the issue.
“I condemn the brutal killing of an innocent girl. This is bizarre, what does she have to do with militancy? They have no ethics,” Chidambaram said.
Unidentified gunmen had fired at Shiraza Akhtar, a resident of Keller village in Shopian district of Kashmir, from point blank range, killing her instantly. No organization or individual has claimed responsibility for it till now.
Chidambaram said that this is not the first time the militants have carried out such a cowardly act as they have killed many innocents including Reshma Begum, Mohammad Aslam Alam, Nagina, who were completely innocents.
Taking on the hardliner separatists for their apparent silence on the issue, Chidambaram said, “They are embarrassed, they don’t know where to hide their faces,”.
He also pointed out that whenever there is even a hint of the involvement of security forces in any case, separatists are up in arms, but now when an innocent is killed at the hands of militants, they are silent.
Demanding that Hurriyat take a position on this issue, Chidambaram said, “They should come with a united stand on these killings,”.
Chidambaram added that the Jammu and Kashmir police have been asked to leave no stone unturned to nab the people behind the brutal killing of Shiraaza.
However, the Home Minister was quick to make it clear that by pointing out to the alleged human rights violations by security forces, he was not in any way trying to defend any wrongdoing.
Chidambaram was also confident regarding the process of dialogue with the separatists in Jammu and Kashmir.
On the massive protests by people against the CBI report on the alleged double rape and murder in Shopian, Chidambaram said, “How can someone who has nothing to do with investigation just stand and say I condemn the CBI report. This is bizarre you cannot win this argument. How can people inquire into a report?,”.
“An investigative agency can only probe it. Even I can’t investigate. We must have faith in CBI,” the Minister added.
Terming the killing of a 21-year-old girl by militants in Kashmir as “shameful”, Union Minister and former Chief Minster Dr. Farooq Abdullah said he was saddened by the silence of human rights groups on the issue.
“I feel sad that those who are shouting for human rights all over are not speaking a word about the girl who was shot by the militants. It is shameful,” he said.
The Minister was speaking to reporters on the sidelines of an event to launch the scheme for ‘Implementation of Generation Based Incentives (GBI) for Grid Interactive Wind Power Projects’.
A 20-year-old Sheeraza Akhtar of Shopian in Jammu and Kashmir, was shot dead by un-identified gunmen on Tuesday evening.
However, Abdullah refused to comment on the Shopian case probed by CBI, saying “I have not read it and I can’t comment on it,”.
Asked about his views on the demand for smaller states, Abdullah said, “I have already said that personally I am not in favour of these small states,”.