Home Minister Raj Nath Singh informed the Lok Sabha that the government is committed to rehabilitate and facilitate the return of Kashmiri Pandits back to Valley. He said there is no linkage between the participation of Kashmir Pandits in Kausar Nag Yatra with their rehabilitation. He was making a statement in response to a Calling Attention notice on the decision to discontinue Kausar Nag Yatra in South Kashmir. The Home Minister said, the state administration has been making security arrangements for the pilgrims coming from the Reasi side of the Jammu Region to Kausar Nag in Kulgam district. He said this year also, a batch of 150 devotees, who came from the traditional Reasi route performed their Puja at Kausar Nag on the first of August and returned on the same date. He said, the controversy, however,
erupted this year over the six-day long event between 28th of July and
2nd of August following the separatists protesting against the Kashmir
Pandit Organisations.
Initiating the discussion Kavita Kalavakuntala of the Telangana Rashtra Samiti gave a detailed account of the plight of Kashmiri Pandits during the last 23 years. She claimed 700 Kashmiri Pandits have been killed between 1990 and 2003 and not a single FIR was filed. She urged the government to take the views of the Kashmiri Pandits in this regard before planning to send them back to the Valley. She said
they should get a sense of justice. Senior BJP leader L K Advani wanted that the House should discuss the report by the Standing Committee of the Home Ministry on the rehabilitation of the Kashmiri migrants.
Later, replying to the discussion, Home Minister said that the rehabilitation of the Kashmiri migrants is a national issue and not a political one. He suggested that the House should adopt a resolution in this regard.