NEW DELHI/SRINAGAR, 26 November 2002 — Deputy Prime Minister L.K. Advani yesterday sought to blame the new government in Pakistan for the spurt in violence in Jammu and Kashmir, including a temple attack in which 13 people were killed.
Advani linked the series of attacks in the state over the past few days to the installation of a new government in Pakistan. “(The attacks) made one speculate whether it is a mere coincidence that this has occurred just when the process of government formation has been completed in Pakistan,” Advani told the Parliament, giving details of the Raghunath temple attack in Jammu on Sunday.
A government headed by Prime Minister Mir Zafarullah Khan Jamali took power in Islamabad on Saturday.
“It (the spurt in violence) also follows the release of Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) chief Hafiz Muhammad Saeed by Pakistan recently,” Advani said.
He recalled Saeed’s threat to step up violence in Jammu and Kashmir. “He vowed to continue his jehad in Kashmir and gave a public call to step up violence in the state.” A monitoring of the terror network had indicated that the temple attack was the handiwork of Al-Mansoor, a cover organization of the Lashkar, aimed to “attack innocent civilians at public places of worship”, the deputy prime minister said.
Pakistan yesterday condemned the attacks on temples in Kashmir as “terrorist” acts but rejected accusations by New Delhi that it was to blame after releasing a hard-line rebel leader.
Temples were placed under heavy guard across India yesterday after the attack by militants on temples in Kashmir, officials said.
The chief minister of Kashmir vowed yesterday to press ahead with dialogue to end years of violence despite a weekend of attacks that left more than 50 people dead.
“No amount of violence can derail the process of dialogue,” Mufti Muhammad Sayeed said in a statement. “I will strive for a serious dialogue between New Delhi and the elected representatives and other sections in the state.”
“Enough blood has been spilled in the past 13 years and now (is) the time to have serious and meaningful deliberations to address the problem,” he said. Sayeed has pledged to bring a “healing touch” to wind down the Kashmir insurgency. “The task ahead of us is stupendous and the challenges enormous but our determination is equally strong,” said Sayeed.
“The situation demands a healing touch that would be provided with a sense of responsibility and commitment.” Sayeed’s regional People’s Democratic Party is ruling in a coalition with the main opposition Congress party. The parties were the big winners in violent four-round elections that closed Oct. 8.
The Congress denied yesterday that it was taking a soft stance against militants in the strife-torn state.
“Don’t you dare accuse the Congress party of being soft on terrorism,” party leader Sonia Gandhi told reporters here during a visit to the temple in Jammu which was attacked by militants overnight.
Police overnight gunned down two militants who had entered the Raghunath temple and the adjoining smaller temple in the city and sprayed visitors with gunfire, killing 10 civilians and two policemen.
After dawn, police engaged a third rebel in a running gunbattle through the streets of Jammu, deserted during a government-imposed curfew, before cornering him and shooting him dead.
Minister of State for Defense Chaman Lal Gupta and Minister of State for Home I.D. Swamy, who also visited the site of the attack, blamed the state government for being too “liberal” toward militants.
Sonia defended the decision of the state government to release some Kashmiri separatists from prison in a bid to promote reconciliation.
“There is a misconception. The Kashmir government has released 26 rebels only after taking clearance from central intelligence agencies,” she said. Omar Abdullah, leader of the opposition National Conference, was quick to blame Sayeed for the violence. “There is a signal that has gone across India. That the Mufti (Sayeed) government is soft,” he said.
But Saifuddin Soz, a leader of the Congress told reporters the government would stick to its plan.
