Pak instigating MLA Rasheed, trying to communalise J&K: Dy CM

Against the backdrop of controversies involving Independent MLA Sheikh Rasheed, Jammu and Kashmir Deputy Chief Minister Nirmal Singh today alleged that he was being "instigated" by Pakistan, which is trying to communalise the situation in the state by provoking every incident.
He said there was an attempt to politicise the October 9 petrol bomb attack on a Kashmir-based truck in Udhampur and hailed the people of Valley for maintaining peace despite the incident in which one Kashmiri was killed and another injured.
Singh, a senior BJP leader who hails from Jammu region where the incident took place, asserted that Udhampur-like targeting of innocent people will not be tolerated and those guilty in this case will not be allowed to go scotfree.

"He (Engineer Rasheed) is being instigated by Pakistan. It definitely is indication of that Pakistan is directly interfering into internal affairs of our country. Pakistan is communalising the situation in Jammu and Kashmir," the Deputy CM said at a function here.
He was responding when a reporter asked whether Pakistan was instigating people in J&K as its Foreign Minister had reportedly called up Rashid.
"It is interference in internal matters of the country as he (Rasheed) is the person who has engaged in all such activities," Singh said about the legislator who had triggered a controversy by hosting a beef party at MLA's hostel last month and earlier this week raked up the petrol bomb attack by addressing a press conference in Delhi.

"Pakistan is trying to provoke every situation in J&K and they are always out to exploit the situation here," he said, adding, "the way it is interfering in internal matters of Kashmir, what will it do if the government of India raises the issue of Baluchistan, Sindh and NorthWest Frontier Province (NWFP)?"
On the present situation in Kashmir valley, he said there is a reaction due to the recent incident "ut the situation is under control. I want to pat people of Kashmir in particular and people of Jammu in general for maintaining patience inspite of the situation that developed following the incident."

He said that, "Some people tried to politicise the issue but people maintained calm, particuarly the people of Kashmir. They have done the best... The (Udhampur) incident that has taken place, nobody is going to approve that but the common interest is to maintain the peace.