Rajnath asks forces to exercise restraint

Stating that the government will be tough on militants, Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh on Monday said he had asked forces not to use fatal weapons and exercise as much restraint as possible.

"I want to inform everyone that I called the government in Jammu and Kashmir, asking everyone to exercise as much restraint as possible. We have asked forces to not use fatal weapons," the Home Minister informed the Rajya Sabha.

He further said as many as 1,948 civilians were injured, of them 1,744 discharged after treatment, while 1,671 security force personnel were injured and one jawan died.

"The government will be tough on militants, and that is what happening," said Singh.

The Home Minister alleged that what was happening in the Kashmir Valley today was sponsored by Pakistan. "Kehne ko naam Pakistan hai par harkaten saari naapaak hain (It's Pakistan just for the name, otherwise it's all acts are unholy."

"We are sure than ever that all political parties stand together to talk about the Kashmir issue and are against terrorism," he added.

Rebuffing opposition criticism of Prime Minister Narendra Modi for "ignoring" the Kashmir situation while on five-day visit to the African continent, he said: "When Prime Minister Modi was on foreign tour, I didn't call him, but he did. He inquired about the Kashmir situation. And, after arriving back in India, the first meeting he held was a review meeting on the J&K situation."

He further said he was in regular touch with Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti and whatever was required to be done to stabilise the state, the government would do it.

He said he would talk to the chief minister about providing ration to all those people who were unable to leave their houses due to curfew.

Firing fresh salvos at Pakistan, the minister said, "A terrorist was killed in India, and Pakistan is observing 'Black Day' is being observed in Pakistan. Pakistan is interfering in the internal issue of India.