Major Gogoi's act no violation of human rights: Nirmal Singh

JAMMU: After day's controversy over award to the Army Major who tied a Kashmiri man to jeep, first ever response has come from Jammu and Kashmir unit of BJP -Deputy Chief Minister Nirmal Singh has spoken in defence of the officer's action which has been described of their alliance partner PDP as violation of human rights.
Nirmal Singh has said that Major Leetul Gogoi's act of tying a man to a jeep as a human shield against stone-pelters should not been seen as human rights violation and there should be no politics over it. The BJP leader said Gogoi had saved many lives by showing the "presence of mind" in a particular situation.
Singh maintained that the government was ready for talks and that it was doing its best to create an atmosphere where a dialogue can be started.
He said a "comprehensive plan" was being chalked out to deal with militancy and violence and "we are expecting good results which will pave the way for restoration of peace and normalcy in Kashmir very soon."
Referring to the April 9 incident in which Gogoi had tied a man to his jeep as a shield against stone-pelters during polling in Budgam district, Singh told reporters in Srinagar that the Major was "facing a situation" and "adopted a way out by showing presence of mind, thus saving many lives."
There should be no politics over it, the BJP leader said, two days after his party's coalition partner, the PDP, expressed displeasure over honouring of the Army officer.
PDP general secretary Nizamuddin Bhat, while commenting on the Army chief's commendation card given to Gogoi, had said on Tuesday that honouring the officer was "not proper" as the act was a human rights violation.
Singh insisted today that the incident should not be seen in the light of human rights violation as the officer adopted a way out to save the lives of many people including local polling staff, policemen and the protesters.
"Several people among protesters or the trapped party would have lost their lives, if the officer had used live ammunition. It should be seen in that context. It is a bigger thing that human lives were saved," the deputy CM said.
To a question about militants including Lashker-e-Taiba (LeT) chief Abu Dujana escaping security cordon seven times in the recent past in south Kashmir with the help of stone- pelters, he termed these as "minor incidents".
"We are fully confident of the success of the comprehensive plan which will have a positive impact on the ground in near future," Singh added.
In reply to another question about a civil society group meeting some separatist leaders here, he said, "It is good if they (separatists) are talking as things will move forward only through dialogue."
He said the state government is not against dialogue but wants a conducive atmosphere to prevail to begin the process.
"We have made it clear in the 'Agenda of Alliance' (between the PDP and the BJP) that all issues will be addressed through dialogue and the state government is doing its best to create such an atmosphere where dialogue is started," the deputy chief minister said.
He said when the parliamentary delegation visited the valley last year, separatists shut their doors and refused to talk to them.
"When such an atmosphere is prevailing, how can the process of dialogue take shape?.. In the coming times, when the roar of guns and stone pelting stops, such things will move forward," he said.
In the context of Pakistan, Singh said, "Our doors are always open if they talk peace. We have Shimla Agreement and Lahore Declaration and things can move forward on those basis."
He added, "Pakistan needs to understand that dialogue is the only way forward. No one is against talks."
He recounted that Prime Minister Narendra Modi had invited his Pakistan counterpart Nawaz Sharif for his swearing-in ceremony in 2014 and afterwards visited Lahore to greet Sharif on a family wedding.
"What did we get in response - Pathankot (attack on Air force base), Uri attack and beheading of soldiers," he said.
He cited former Prime Minister A B Vajapyee's famous comment that 'you can change friends but not neighbours' and said "Modi had made an attempt to reach out to Pakistan on the same lines... When a country does not want to listen to such type of gesture and only understands the language of gun, there is no option."
He said terrorism is not only India's problem but a global problem.
However, Singh said Pakistan was following the "path of self-destruction" and "wants a similar situation" in Jammu and Kashmir.
"I had visited there twice and observed that 95 per cent of people want peace to prevail. The political establishment there has become very weak and the country is emerging as a terrorist state which is very unfortunate," he said.