Highlights: Arun Jaitley speaks in the Rajya Sabha on Kishtwar clashes

New Delhi:

• This has been a matter of huge concern. Historically, community relations have been very cordial.
• For the past few days, anti-national activities had increased in Kishtwar.
• When the selective targetting started, it was brought to the notice at the highest level. PM was spoken to in minutes.
• People were crying out of helplessness and police were a mute spectator
• There were complaints that a senior functionary of the state could have been involved, which is a matter of investigation
• The functionaries of the district were all spectators and took no action
• You have 100s of shops being burnt, houses ransacked and people injured
• You could not treat them in the civil hospital, they were taken to the military action
• It was only till late evening that the Army moved in - and in these 6-7 hours there was mayhem in Kishtwar town
• I do understand that the two concerned officials - District Magistrate  and SSP - had to be moved out
• We sympathise with our friends in the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) - their district president was killed
• What do we do in a situation like this? Do we take an ostrich-like approach?
• Here we have an approach - let's just put an iron curtain
• The state of Jammu and Kashmir is not a personal property of one family. It is an integral part of India and you will have to decide how it will be governed
• What if the BJP governments start imposing Sectio 144 to prevent AICC leaders from entering their states? India is not a banana republic.
• The order banning me from entering the state is indefinite and open-ended
• The whole incident requires to be investigated. This is not an inter-community disturbance.
  
• It is not a law and order situation. It is a matter of India's sovereignty
• Those affected must be compensated and the guilty brought to book
• Why have there been no arrests so far?

Farooq Abdullah reacts:

• In  2002, Gujarat did not allow people to come to Ahmedabad and did not deploy the Army

Mayawati speaks:

• With regret, I must note  five soldiers were killed in the Poonch sector by Pakistan soldiers. We regret the soldier injured has also died.
  
• We were thinking the state and Centre would be alert in J&K and would take care of the law & order situation and the borders too.
• The violence in Kishtwar targeted a community. Many have been  injured, some killed. Our Kishtwar district president's son was killed.
• 17 shots were fired at that boy, according to reports I have received.
  
• The state government's Home Minister was there in Kishtwar on the day this incident happened
• He could have brought the situation under control, but that was not done.
  
• The state government was caught napping and the judicial probe was ordered just this morning
  
• The Centre should intervene in the matter and not remain silent.
  
• If an FIR is not lodged against the Jammu and Kashmir Minister of State, the Centre should dismiss the state government and impose President's Rule

Sitaram Yechury:

• I rise with deep sense of agony and anguish at what is happening in Kishtwar
• It is not merely a local law and order problem.
• Disappointed that the situation was allowed to degenerate to this level
• Proper relief and rehabilitation must be given to the victims
• Proper enquiry is needed, the truth has to come out
• The judicial inquiry ordered does not inspire confidence
• We know that the number of LoC transmissions has increased, number of infiltrating attempts have increased.
• Inspite of all such alerts why was such laxity shown.
• Central intervention is necessary and normalcy has to be restored at the earliest