Press Briefing Thursday, 15th September 2010

Smt. Jayanthi Natarajan addressed the media today.


Smt. Jayanthi Natarajan said that today all party meeting is still going on and I wanted to share with you the stand of the party as has already been articulated upon this issue. The Congress Party would like to convey its sincere condolences to the families of all those who died in the violence and express our anguish over the death of all those who died in the violence particularly over the festival of ‘Eid’ and in this backdrop of escalating violence, the Congress Party is of the strong view that it is time for the entire country to join hands to set aside and rise above all political difference, all ideological differences and come together to put an end to this escalating cycle of violence. The police in the State and the Security forces are all facing a very difficult and uphill task in protecting the unity and integrity of India and also the lives of ordinary citizens. There is great anger among the youth and it is important for us to ensure that the legitimate aspirations of youth of Kashmir and ordinary people of Jammu & Kashmir are addressed. We must demonstrate that as a country that we have a truly inclusive democracy. Our President Madam Sonia Gandhi has expressed these views at the all-party meeting. Hon’ble Prime Minister has also on various occasions and today called for the beginning of dialogue - a fresh dialogue - called for substantive steps to be taken by the administration. He had said that the central Government will do anything in its power to help the local administration in stopping the escalating cycle of violence and the Congress party expresses support for all the initiatives taken by the Government and the Prime Minister in this regard.

To a question whether the Congress Party is satisfied with the performance of the Shri Omar Abdullah, CM of J&K, Smt. Natarajan said that the entire matter has to be studied and to be looked at the backdrop of recurring cycle of violence, free and fair elections, democratic Government being elected, a shift in paradigm from terrorism to infiltration, to stone pelting now and incitement of ordinary people and in this backdrop during these troubled times, clearly there is an issue which needs to be addressed and it is something that has to be done by the State and the Central Government working together. However, we do recognize that there is a problem which needs to be addressed. Certain deficit in trust which has allowed the ordinary people to be incited by certain inimical forces and that needs to be addressed very urgently. Smt. Natarajan further said that this is not the question of being satisfied. It is a time where our party President has called upon all to set aside their political ideological differences and work together to ensure that the cycle of violence is stopped.





Tom Vadakkan
Secretary, AICC