Kavitha Stuns LS For Cause Of Kashmiri Pandits; Get’s Advani’s Support

Kavitha Kalvakuntla’s short speech in Lok Sabha on Monday shocked even the BJP, which has been the strongest votary for the return of of Kashimiri pandits to the valley. The 1st time TRS MP questioned the Centre’s rehabilitation plan and said, “Right now, it seems that the government is trying to push them (Pandits) back to their homeland just to show some results. I sincerely urge upon the government that until and unless you cannot guarantee their safety, do not put them in danger.”

Earlier, Kavitha, while moving a calling attention motion on the issue, narrated how Kashmiri Pandits from the valley had been forced to become refugees in their own country due to repeated and brutal massacres in the early 1990s. She threw a jibe at intellectuals who seem to very concerned about the Gaza massacre of Palestinians while ignoring plight of pandits in their own country. Immediately, BJP’s patriarch, L.K. Advani, stood up and endorsed her view and praised her for bringing such an important issue to the notice of Parliament. Advani sought implementation of the recommendations of an earlier standing committee made during the United Progressive Alliance (UPA) regime on the issue of Kashmiri Pandits.

MP Kavitha demanded a retrial of terrorist Farooq Ahmed Dar alias Bitta Karate, who is accused of killing at least 20 people, most of them Kashmiri Pandits. She raised questions on the lack of any judicial action against those who engineered the massacres even after two and half decades. Kavitha said the pandits were apprehensive of going back to valley as their killers were still roaming scot-free. Kavitha demanded a blue print from the government on its proposed return and rehabilitation plan.

Kavitha’s attention motion was supported by BJP and BJD MPs.

At present, a total of 60,452 families of Kashmiri migrants are registered in the country, of which 38,119 are in Jammu, 19,338 in Delhi and 1,995 in other states.