Gupta questions ‘sympathy’ for militants

Jammu: Former Union Minister Chaman Lal Gupta said with the elections approaching, several controversial voices and sympathies for militants and separatists would become louder but these could not be expected from persons who are under the oath of Constitution and enjoying benefits of the democratic process.

Gupta said it was intriguing that some politicians from Kashmir were making suggestions of talking to Pakistan, separatists in Kashmir and even with terrorists. “Why did they not do so when they themselves were in authority for so many years and violence was far greater then than now? Between 1996 and 2002, over 25,000 incidents of violence took place and more than 16,000 human lives were lost,” said Gupta. — TNS