New Delhi
Former Indian Finance Minister, P Chidambaram has said that the people of Jammu and Kashmir need freedom and restoration of their human rights.
P. Chidambaram talking to reporters at All India Congress Committee (AICC) headquarters in New Delhi, said this while reacting on the Indian government’s decision to allocate money in the budget for Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh.
He said, “What the people of Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh require is freedom. The people of Kashmir need restoration of their human rights. Only a free society, people breathing free air can enjoy the fruit of development and participate in the development process.
If they think they can take away freedom and substitute with money, they are completely wrong”, Chidambaram said while.
He further said that the government’s move was weak and hypocritical attempts to appease the Kashmiri people” and added, “it will not succeed”.
“What they need is freedom. The freedom has been taken away from Kashmir valley on August 5. People are still in custody without charges.
The world is taking note of the fact that India has denied freedom to people of Kashmir valley for over six months. First thing the government needs to do is to restore freedom, then talk about money and poetry”, the former Indian Minister added.
Chidambaram’s ‘poetry’ jibe aimed at Sitharaman, as she recited a verse from a poem in Kashmiri, during her budget speech.
Earlier in the day, while presenting the budget, Indian Finance Minister, Nirmala Sitharaman has announced Rs 30,757 crore for Jammu and Kashmir, Rs 5,958 crore for Ladakh for its development.—KMS
