Kashmir Pandits row: BJP-PDP clearly failing to reconcile differences, says NPP

With the growing impasse over the issue of the colonies for the Kashmiri Pandits, the National Panthers Party (NPP) on Saturday took on the newly formed PDP-BJP government in Jammu and Kashmir, saying that they were clearly unable to sort out their differences and it was likely to spell trouble for the state.

"Parties are merely playing politics over this issue on Kashmiri Pandit townships and colonies. The BJP says one thing and its partner in the state government, the PDP, says quite the contradictory. While the BJP has been saying that there will be separate colonies, composite townships for the Kashmiri Pandits, Mehbooba says no," NPP leader Harshdev Singh told ANI.

Talking about the Sainik Colony issue, he said even here both the parties are not able to reconcile their differences and are simply addressing their respective electorate on the subject.

"Nothing else is going to happen. There has been no result so far," Singh added.

Earlier today, castigating the opposition for attacking her government over allotment of land for Sainik colonies here, Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti said the colonies are not for outsiders, but only for state subjects.

" Sainik colonies are not meant for outsiders, it is for state subjects. The proposal is in the process since the previous government," she said.

"The governor has issued an order to identify land for the proposed Sanik colonies, but I want to clear that our government has still not identified land," she informed the state assembly.

Talking about the rehabilitation of displaced Kashmiri Pandits, Mehbooba said, "Kashmiri Pandits ko baizzat laayenge, yahan saath milkar rahenge. (We will bring back Kashmiri Pandits with full respect and live together)."

"When we can't accommodate Muslim migrants who are affiliated with various political parties in their native villages how can we send Kashmiri Pandits? I assure you that I will bring back Kashmiri Pandits, and they can live wherever they want to. We accommodated them in transit camps and gave all facilities," said Mehbooba.