RSS condemns Bukhari's letter to Pak PM on Kashmir

The Rashtriya Swayam Sevak Sangh (RSS) on Saturday condemned Delhi Jama Masjid's Shahi Imam Syed Ahmed Bukhari for urging Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif to resolve the unrest in the Kashmir valley, stating that the religious leader must clarify on whose behalf he has written the letter.

"He has, in a way, given an authentication to the Hurriyat by writing such a letter without informing the government. Such authentication is against India's interest and diplomacy. Secondly, he must come out clean and clarify to the nation in what capacity has he written the letter," RSS ideologue Rakesh Sinha told ANI.

"Has he written the letter on behalf of Sunni leaders or on behalf of Jama Masjid's Imam or that of Indian citizen? The way he has mixed up religion with diplomacy is condemnable," he added.

Earlier in the day, Imam of Delhi's Jama Masjid, Syed Ahmed Bukhari, wrote a letter to Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, urging him to to resolve the unrest in the Kashmir valley.

The Imam of Jama Masjid, in his letter, appealed to all stakeholders - the governments of India and Pakistan, Kashmiri leaders and militant youth - to declare ceasefire and resolve the issue through dialogue.

In the June 22 letter, Bukhari stated that the peaceful valley has now become a valley of tears, which was once known as the paradise on earth.

"The Kashmir situation is becoming volatile day by day, resulting in an increase in tensions between the two countries (India and Pakistan) as days pass. I think that more delay in the creation of a favorable environment for peace shall make the settlement of the Kashmir issue more difficult," Bukhari said in his letter to Sharif.

"Therefore, with all the intellect, wisdom and prudence at our disposal, we must make every effort to safe Kashmir from the dangerous destruction and devastation it faces and pave the way for the establishment of peace there. The common people of Kashmir are in a state of terror and helplessness as they find their dreams for peace shattered," he added.

He warned and cautioned that the Kashmir issue can neither be solved through guns and stones nor through military expeditions.

"We should create an environment conducive for the talks at the earliest. Through exchange of views and dialogue on the larger issues, we all should formulate a strategy that is in the interest of both nations," he said.