Congress says Burhan a terrorist, no scope for dialogue

Distancing itself from its Kashmir leader Saifuddin Soz's remark about keeping Hizbul Mujahideen commander Burhan Wani alive, the Congress on Saturday calling Wani a terrorist with whom there was no scope of dialogue.

"Wani was a terrorist from the Hizbul Mujahideen and therefore the question of a dialogue or negotiation with him was out of question. The Congress has consistently articulated its position that violent forces backed by Paksitan disupting peace in the Valley have no scope on the dialogue table," Congress spokesperson Sanjay Jha told IANS.

He said: "The truth is that Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti had said she would have let Wani live. She also wanted security forces to apologise for his killing. The problem is with the opportunistic People's Democratic Party-Bharatiya Janata Party poltical alliance in the state. It was the government that extended compensation to Wani's family."

"Mere bas mein hota toh Burhan Wani ko zinda rakhta aur unse dialogue karta (if it was up to me, Burhan Wani would have been kept alive and a dialogue initiated with him)," Soz said a day earlier.

Congress spokesperson R.P.N. Singh had said: "Burhan Wani was a terrorist and he was killed during a shootout with the security forces. He also killed many innocent people."

"Also, why did the PDP-BJP government in the state give compensation to his family?" he asked.

Burhan Wani was killed by security personnel on July 8 last year.

--IANS

sid/tsb