Sikh body calls for all-party team's visit to Kashmir

Terming Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh's recent visit to the state an "eyewash", a Sikh organisation in Kashmir today demanded a visit by an all-party delegation to the Valley to assess the ground situation.
"All Parties Sikh Coordination Committee (APSCC) demands an immediate visit of senior leaders of national parties to assess the prevailing situation on ground zero for the last 25 days and take up the issue in the current session of Parliament without fail," said chairman of the organisation Jagmohan Singh Raina.
APSCC member Pardeep Singh alleged that the Home Minister came to Kashmir "without any agenda and solution".

"His visit was more of an eyewash rather than an attempt to resolve the turmoil. That is why all the civil society bodies rejected his call for a meeting," he said.
The members of the organisation expressed anguish over the day-to-day killings of "innocent people in Kashmir Valley".
"The situation has taken a very serious turn by taking the common man hostage for the last 25 days of curfew," they said.

APSCC also held a condolence meeting to mourn the killings.
Raina said it was shocking that the government was neither able to ban nor prevent the use of pellet guns which have injured scores of people in the Valley since the unrest began in the aftermath of Hizbul Mujahideen commander Burhan wani's killing by security forces in an encounter on July 8.

"Many have lost their eyesight. The number of injured has crossed 3,000 which is outrageous. There is no ray of hope from the Centre that it will be able to bring the Kashmiri leaders to the table to resolve the turmoil," he added.