SRINAGAR: Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Friday said there is a strong possibility of holding Assembly elections in Jammu and Kashmir by the end of this year and asserted that the Centre won’t allow any forceful migration in Kashmir in the wake of targeted killings by militants.
Addressing a function in Jammu to mark 200th year of coronation of Maharaja Gulab Singh, Rajnath said the delimitation exercise has been recently completed and it will change the form of J&K Assembly.
He said may be by the end of this year the electoral process in J&K may commence. “There is a strong possibility of it happening,” he said.
On targeted killings by militants in Valley, Rajnath said, “Targeted killing is a foreign conspiracy. It is being carried out at the behest of our neighbouring country. We must foil designs of such forces and try to live a peaceful life”. The defence minister, however, asserted that no forced migration would be allowed in J&K, which has already witnessed forced migration in the past.
“We will not allow any forced migration of any person belonging to any religion or community in J&K,” he said. Commenting on the recent communal clashes in Bhaderwah area of J&K, he said: “Some elements want to disturb the social fabric in J&K and promote radicalism. Attempts to spread hatred have recently increased and violence in Bhaderwah is against the culture of this place.
Neither the state nor country can prosper if it creates hatred among people”. Appealing to the people of J&K to maintain communal harmony, Rajnath said, “Pakistan is sowing seeds of hatred in J&K. All of us must live in peace. We must defeat nefarious designs of all those who try to divide people”.