Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Wednesday accused India's first prime minister Jawaharlal Nehru of internationalising the Kashmir issue by taking it to the United Nations (UN). Speaking in Rajya Sabha Sitharaman said the issue should not have gone to the global forum as it was an internal issue.
"It was our first PM Pt. Jawahar Lal Nehru ji who internationalised the Kashmir issue. He took it to the United Nations in December 1947. Why?..."This issue shouldn't have gone to a global forum. It's an Indian issue. We could've handled it," she added.
She further rebutted the Opposition's charge that the BJP too shared the responsibility for the failure to check the exodus of Kashmiri Pandits in 1990 as it was supporting the then V P Singh-led government at the Centre. The minister was replying to a discussion on the Budget 2022-23 for the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir (J-K) in Rajya Sabha.
The minister said that terror killings were being carried out in Kashmir before 1990 when the National Conference was in power in J-K in alliance with the Congress and recalled the then governor Jagmohan's warning about dark clouds of terror overpowering the Valley. She listed out "seven major events" or killings of Hindus by terrorists in 1989 along with the related FIR numbers.
"I just want to put the facts on record. The National Conference government with the support of the Indian National Congress was in power in J&K from November 1986 to January 18, 1990. "And Governor Jagmohan reached J&K (on January 20, 1990) after the resignation of the then Chief Minister Farooq Abdullah....20th January 1990 is when the Governor reaches Srinagar," the minister said."...whatever happened in 1990, we all know we listed out and we are all seeing it also.
“But what happened in 1989 when this (Farooq Abdullah) government was still in place, November 1986 onwards till 18 January 1990. I will take just the example of 1989 when that government of National Conference and Indian National Congress was still there, "Sitharaman said.
The Finance Minister also told the opposition that Governor Jagmohan (in his first tenure) in July 1989 had warned the then state government regarding the danger of terrorism. "Is it not true that even Jagmohan Ji, in his first phase of being Governor when he was asked to leave in July 1989, didn't he warn authorities at that time itself that the dark cloud of terrorists are really overpowering J&K, and necessary steps have to be taken by the state government," the minister said.
The minister also told the House that after the abrogation of Article 370 from Jammu and Kashmir, terror activities have significantly declined, and development works are happening in the Union Territory.
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