Mumbai:
The presence of students holding “Free Kashmir” placards at the “Occupy Gateway of India” in protest over vandalism at Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) has sparked off a bitter war of words between Leader of Opposition in Legislative Assembly, Devendra Fadnavis and Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) Minister for Water Resources Jayant Patil.
If that was not enough senior Shiv Sena leader Sanjay Raut sprang to the defense of Patil and the protestors arguing that the protestors wanted Kashmir to be free of all restrictions. That was enough to raise the hackles of state Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) vice president Dr Kirit Somaiya to slam Raut. Somaiya has already lodged a complaint against NCP Minister for Housing Jitendra Awhad who had attended the sit-in at Gateway of India.
On the issue of why Kashmir figured in the demonstration at Gateway of India, speaking to The News 21 from Jammu, Jammu and Kashmir Study Circle (JKSC) vice president Shakti Munshi blamed it on the pro-Pakistani sympathisers in the JNU like Shehla Rashid and others for instigating the students to raise such issues. This is part of the larger conspiracy that is aimed at breaking the unity of India, she added.
In a tweet tagged to Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray, Fadnavis had wanted to know how could the Chief Minister tolerate such protests happening at stones throw distance from Mantralaya. He wanted to know what were these demonstrations really for? “Why were Free Kashmir slogans raised? How can we tolerate such separatist elements in Mumbai. The slogans by the Azadi Gang are given from a place barely two kilometers away from the Chief Ministers office. Will Chief Minister Uddhavji tolerate such a incident?’, tweeted Fadnavis.
No sooner had he tweeted, senior NCP Minister for Water Resources Jayant Patil intervened and responded to Fadnavis, tweeting “Devendraji It’s Free Kashmir from all discriminations, ban on cellular networks and central control. I cannot believe that responsible leader like you trying to confuse people by decoding words in such a hatred way. Is it losing power or losing self control?”
To which Fadnavis responded “what a pity. Now separatist tendencies get government advocate. Jayantrao, this vote bank politics is not expected from you. Kashmir has already been freed from discrimination and certain curbs have been there since decades for security concerns. Be it in the Govt or opposition, for us the only principle is Nation First”.
If that was not enough, Raut plunged headlong into the debate arguing “what I read in the newspapers that those who held “Free Kashmir” banner during protests clarified that they want to be free of restrictions on internet services, mobile services and other issues. Also if anyone talks of freedom of Kashmir from India then it will not be tolerated”.
Somaiya was quick to slam Raut for what he called the Sena leaders support for anti-India slogans “Kashmir Ko Chahiye Azadi” raised at Gateway of India. Reacting to Raut’s comments, Somaiya remarked “Does Sena want Article 370 to be reintroduced in Kashmir. Is it compromising with ideology for the sake of power”. He added that the police have told him that no permission was given for the Gateway of India protest. Somaiya demanded that action be taken against Awhad.
