: Everyone affected with Pak sponsored terrorism in JK: Azad #IndiaNEWS #Todays story ‘Division in society dangerous for country’ Gopal Sharma JAMMU, Mar 20: Former Union Minister and senior Congress

Everyone affected with Pak sponsored terrorism in JK: Azad #IndiaNEWS #Todays story
‘Division in society dangerous for country’
Gopal Sharma
JAMMU, Mar 20: Former Union Minister and senior Congress leader, Ghulam Nabi Azad today said that every person was affected with the Pakistan sponsored terrorism in the Jammu and Kashmir.
In an apparent reference to The Kashmir Files, the AICC leader said every citizen of Jammu and Kashmir was hit by the over three-decade long Pak-sponsored terrorism. He said linking terrorism to a particular religion was absolutely wrong proposition.
Pakistan-sponsored militancy has brought death and destruction and is responsible for all the evil things, Azad said while addressing a function organised by the civil society of Jammu to felicitate him for his Padma Bhushan award. Click here to watch video
Many lost their lives, thousands of women were widowed and lakhs of children were orphaned they targeted everyone Muslims, Hindus, Pandits and even did not spare religious places, he said.
Azad said that over 90% of the evils in the society are because of the politicians who divide the people for their vote bank, and expressed doubts whether any politician can bring a change in society. He asked the civil society to take a lead and mobilise people against injustice or oppression.
The AICC leader said that the emergence of Jammu as a cosmopolitan city was the only positive of the impact of violence in J&K.
Jammu is the only place where the people of all the 22 districts of J&K and Ladakh are residing, he said, adding Kashmir has no such advantage even as it maintained its secular credentials despite militancy.
Azad said that over the past 47 years of his political career, he had delivered over one lakh public speeches but I will not deliver a political speech today because the politics in the country has downgraded so much, I am forced to think whether we are human beings.
Remembering the Mahatma Gandhi, Azad said, a true follower of a religion is the biggest secular like Gandhi, while a pretender is very dangerous.
The civil society should own responsibility and counter the narrative of the political parties, whether my party or any other party, who are involved in dividing people 247.
I am not going to forgive anyone. You have to lead and guide the people and let them decide whom to vote for, he said.
He referred to the Kathua rape incident as an example of the countrys unity, saying everyone demanded justice for the girl irrespective of their religion.
The Congress leader also gave a piece of his mind on the recently concluded Punjab election, saying that SAD patriarch Parkash Singh Badal, 95, should not have fought the elections.
Recalling his college days in 1969, Azad said he was student of SP College Srinagar and there was 15-day function in connection with the 100th anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi.