‘CM Mehbooba Mufti persuaded Delhi for Ramadhan ceasefire’

MHA announces same after high level meeting

MHA announces same after high level meeting

Srinagar, May 16 (KNS): The Centre’s decision to announce the Ramadhan ceasefire has come after hectic lobbying by the J&K chief minister Mehbooba Mufti and her team of officials, who finally succeeded in persuading Centre to announce the decision.
Top sources in the government told Kashmir News Serve (KNS) that Chief Minister repeatedly requested the Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh to announce the Ramadhan ceasefire as a biggest CBM to earn public support in the holy month of fasting. “After CM, Chief Secretary of J&K and many officials of the Home department also frequented Delhi to see progress on Mehbooba’s appeal. And finally, it bore fruit today,” the source revealed.
Sources claimed that few days before the high level meeting was held in New Delhi at Prime Minister’s office between the top officials of the MHA, top security officials and the officials from the Jammu and Kashmir government. “The idea of a ceasefire was discussed at a meeting held at the Prime Minister's office few days before. The meeting of top security officials was attended by National Security Advisor (NSA) Ajit Doval, and some top officials of the state government and the police,” sources claimed.
Sources said that after the meeting the Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti was informed by the centre that it will take appropriate call on the Ramadhan ceasefire proposal.
However sources said that the union government was uncomfortable with the “unilateral ceasefire”. “If the suggestion is to cease operations against militants that's not going to happen until they stop activities. Since Ramzan is a holy month for Muslims, they, militants should announce a unilateral ceasefire. If they stop killing civilians and attacking security forces, operations against them will automatically stop,” sources quoting the meeting said.
Sources said that it was only after hectic efforts by the Jammu and Kashmir chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti that the centre today asked government forces not to launch operations in Jammu and Kashmir during the holy month of Ramadhan.
The Ministry of Home Affairs has said that the decision has been taken to help the ‘peace-loving Muslims observe Ramadhan in a peaceful environment. The Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti has been informed of the decision by the Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh,
However, the Centre has said that the government forces to “reserve the right to retaliate if attacked or if essential to protect the lives of innocent people.”
“The Centre asks Security Forces not to launch operations in Jammu & Kashmir during the holy month of Ramadhan. Decision taken to help the peace loving Muslims observe Ramzan in a peaceful environment,” HMO India wrote on Twitter.
In another tweet, he said, “Security Forces to reserve the right to retaliate if attacked or if essential to protect the lives of innocent people,” adding that It is important to isolate the forces that bring a bad name to Islam by resorting to mindless violence and terror,” he wrote.
It is to mention here that after an all-party meeting in Srinagar last week, Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti had invoked former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee and said “all of us agree that we have to appeal to the government of India to consider a ceasefire during Ramadhan, Amarnath Yatra and Eid, the way Vajpayee ji announced a unilateral ceasefire in 2000”
However BJP, the alliance partner of PDP was of the opinion that the idea should have come from militants. (KNS)
 

To Top