Soz slams govt over poll violence

Senior Congress leader Saifuddin Soz today denounced the killing of eight youths in election- day violence in Jammu and Kashmir yesterday, insisting electoral politics alone cannot yield a solution to the Kashmir problem.
He also accused Prime Minister Narendra Modi of aggravating the situation in the state where his "rhetoric on issues has only added fuel to the fire of anger".
"I strongly condemn the killing of at least eight youth and injuries to scores in firing by security forces yesterday in Pakharpora and other places in Budgam district of Kashmir. The people of Kashmir rightly described it a black day for democracy," he told PTI.

He asked the Prime Minister to address the "widespread anger" of the youth in the Kashmir valley which it has not done so far.
"The Union of India gave a definite impression that it was not prepared to do anything to assuage the feelings and respond to the genuine aspirations of the people," he said.
Soz said he had cautioned the mainstream leaders six months ago that while maintaining their identity in respect of parties, they could undertake an exercise to ascertain how best to respond to the aspirations of the people of Kashmir and also serve the broader interests of the country.

"That needed a course correction as I had explained that electoral politics by itself could not yield a solution to the Kashmir dispute.
"Now the lowest percentage since 1952 in the polling held on April 9 in Srinagar constituency at a little over 7 per cent constitutes a warning to mainstream parties that their approach to politics in Kashmir needs a course correction," he said.
Referring to the violent incidents of yesterday, the former Union minister said,"The people of Kashmir have given a message to PM Modi that no amount of repression through bullets and pellets can subdue the innocent and unarmed youth to accept his style and culture of governance through deliberate and ill-planned neglect of Kashmir.