New Delhi, June 5 (Representative) A massive protest rally to condemn the targeted killings of Kashmiri Pandits in Kashmir Valley was organised by the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) in Delhi’s Jantar Mantar on Sunday. Labelled as Jan Aakrosh rally, the protest witnessed the attendance of tall party leaders like Delhi Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia, Environment Minister Gopal Rai, Rajya Sabha MP Sanjay Singh and other MLAs. The centre stage was taken by Delhi CM and AAP’s national convenor Arvind Kejriwal who lambasted at Bharatiya Janata Party-led Union government for its “failure to give security to Kashmiri Pandits”. “BJP government has failed in providing protection to the Kashmiri Pandits. The era of 1990 has returned while the central government does not have any plans or strategy to deal with the threat of another exodus,” he said while addressing the public in the rally. Everytime a murder happens in the valley, Home Minister Amit Shah calls a high-level meeting to assess that.
But what comes out of the meeting is not seen on the ground. Enough of these meetings, we need action against the terrorists. Kashmir wants action,” he stated further. Kejriwal also hit out at the Centre for not allowing the minority community to protest against the targeted attacks as well. “When they (Kashmiri Pandits) protest against the targeted killings, the present BJP govt in Kashmir does not allow them to protest. If the government behaves like this, the suffering of the people becomes double,” he added. Before the rally started, Manish Sisodia tweeted, “This period will be counted as the worst phase in the history of Kashmir. The BJP has completely failed to stop targeted killings and there is an atmosphere of panic and terror in Kashmir.”
Off lately, Kejriwal and AAP have been raising about the targeted killings of the Kashmiri Pandits in the valley. Few days ago, he stated that the community is forced to relive the horror of the 1990s era of terrorism and no one is doing anything to stop it. While last month, the Aam Aadmi Party’s national convenor had asked for the safety and rehabilitation of the community members in the valley in the wake of a government employee, Rahul Bhat’s murder in Budgam. Since January 2022, the valley has recorded 18 targeted killings of Kashmiri Pandits and civilians; Seven people were murdered in May alone. Recently, two persons—a bank employee and a brick kiln labourer—were killed in Kashmir on June 2 while another labourer was injured in two separate incidents.