Panthers Party protests against amnesty to stone-pelters

Activists of the Jammu and Kashmir National Panthers Party (JKNPP) on Friday demonstrated in winter capital Jammu to protest against the announcement of amnesty to stone-pelters.

Led by party leader Harsh Dev Singh, the Panthers Party protesters burned the effigy of Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti here and protested against the state government's decision to give amnesty to first-time stone-pelters in Kashmir.

Harsh Dev Singh told reporters during the protest: "Instead of taking stringent action against anti-national elements and subversives active in Kashmir, the central government has preferred to take forward the suggestion made by its interlocutor to release 4,500 first-time stone-pelters and drop cases against them to win hearts in Kashmir."

This decision must be immediately revoked as it was detrimental to the nation's security and secular ethos, he said.

Reacting to a Union Home Ministry reply to an RTI query which said the government had no intention to set up composite townships for Kashmiri Pandits in the Valley, the protesters demanded that the Centre should develop such townships for them.

--IANS

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