Not appropriate to talk through media: Nirmala Sitaraman on confronting Mehbooba Mufti
Embroiled in a major controversy over filing of First Information Report (FIR) by J&K police against an Army officer allegedly involved in firing incident on stone pelters in Shopian district of South Kashmir Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman Monday broke her silence claiming “it may not be through the media that I will have to talk what conversations happened, how did it turn out to be and so on”.
Instead of talking straight the Defence Minister said we (State Govt and the Government of India) will have to work together to make sure that the army is taken care of because they are fighting a very very severe struggle.
Sitharaman tried to play down the conversation she had with the Chief Minister (CM) immediately after two youth were killed in firing on January 27 in Ganawpora area of Shopian.
Highly placed official sources claimed Defence Minister had two sets of communications with the state Chief Minister on January 27.
In the first communication J&K, CM had only shared her anguish over the firing incident. And after some time when Defence Minister sought a complete report from the Army chief, she called back the Chief Minister and explained her about the sequence of events preceding firing on the group of stone pelters. Even during these talks the J&K Chief Minister never sought permission to register an FIR against the accused.
Defence Minister, who is already facing the political heat in the matter, chose to react in this fashion when she was asked to clarify whether J&K Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti had sought her permission to lodge an FIR against a serving army officer on duty and that too when provisions of Armed Forces Special Powers Act are in vogue across the state.
Instead of talking straight the Defence Minister said we (State Govt and the Government of India) will have to work together to make sure that the army is taken care of because they are fighting a very very severe struggle.They are working under severe duress. All of us are conscious of it. I would not at this stage say more than this”.
Though media persons kept posing the same question in different ways she played smart and managed to dodge the tough ones on the same topic.
Earlier, when she was asked to comment whether morale of the armed forces was going down after an FIR was filed against their senior officer, Sitharaman commented: “We stand by our proud soldiers and Army and if in the call of duty they have performed something, it’ll have to be contextualised”.
Karamveer Singh, father of Major Aditya has said his son, a Major in 10 Garhwal Rifles, was “wrongly and arbitrarily” named in the FIR as the incident relates to an Army convoy that was on bona fide military duty in an area under the AFSPA and was isolated by an “unruly and deranged” mob pelting stones, causing damage to military vehicles.
Karamveer Singh has said in his plea that his son’s intention was to save Army personnel and property and the fire was inflicted “only to impair and provide a safe escape from a savage and violent mob engaged in terrorist activity”.
The unruly behavior of the “unlawful assembly” escalated and they got hold of a Junior Commissioned Officer and were in the process of lynching him when warning shots were fired to disperse the violent mob and protect public property, the plea has said.
Singh has also referred to last year’s incident of a mob lynching of a Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) Mohd Ayub Pandith to apprise the top court about the situation in the state and the condition in which Army officials were working to control violent mobs in Kashmir.
Referring to the Supreme Court giving huge relief to Major Aditya of the 10 Garhwal Rifles and other Army officers in the matter, Nirmala Sitharaman said, “Ministry of Defence may also have to respond to the Supreme Court, and they shall do so”.
Both the Central and J&K state governments have been given two weeks time to respond to the petition filed by Major Aditya’s father, Lt Col Karamveer Singh, seeking to quash the FIR filed in the case by the Jammu and Kashmir Police.
At the time the FIR was filed, Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti had said in the state assembly that the action had been taken following her consultations with the Defence Minister.
On the other hand sympathisers of the Defence Minister have been claiming that J&K Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti has been deliberately dragging her into the controversy because she can’t afford to face local residents in the area where youth were killed in firing incidents by Army jawans.
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This is very sad. India, That is Bharat, has its VIRTUAL origin in Karma Yogi Dharma way of life, distinct from other world civilization. This distinct virtue is being continuously attacked and shattered by the vested interests. HOW MANY OF US TRY TO UNDERSTAND THAT WE ARE A DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC UNLIKE PEOPLE’S REPUBLIC OF CHINA OR ARMY & ISI CONTROLLED (APPARENTLY DEMOCRATIC) PAKISTAN OR MANY PRINCELY STATES OR CAPITALISTIC STATES LIKE UNITED STATES OR SOCIALISTIC STATES LIKE FORMER U.S.S.R?
In India,there are many highly learned people who do not address themselves as LEARNED FRIENDS EXCEPT THOSE WHO CLAIM TO HAVE LEARNT LAW & SOME SUCH PRACTICE IT FOR THEIR LIVELIHOOD. Some of them were seen sitting on the road, in protest against Chief Justice of India to being the MASTER OF THE ROASTER. Now what has changed?
Similarly it is these very same people who call themselves as LEARNED, abuse Indian Constitution & Constitutional Institutions.
Are we not Democratic Republic? Parliament is the epitome of Indian Democracy and President of India, the First Citizen, THE SUPREME COMMANDER OF OUR DEFENSE FORCES IS THE EPITOME OF OUR REPUBLIC. For the common man’s understanding Indian National Flag is hoisted in front of
all leaders including the world leaders and the might of our armed forces is displayed to the world that we are capable of defending our SOVEREIGNTY AND TERRITORIAL INTEGRITY ON THE 26 TH JANUARY EVERY YEAR BY THE PRESIDENT OF INDIA.
Parliament filled by the Elected Representative of People of India, it is only these elected representatives of people has the power to make laws for the people’s welfare for this welfare state of India. It also has unquestionable special powers under State Policies.
Constitution of India has segregated Functions, Powers, Authority, Limitations among these institutions. The limits of authority, more often than not, is breached by institutions, those neither has internal nor external effective, independent audit systems and can such becomes laws? Such breach is seldom taken seriously and so are the menace of terrorists and their Dalals are taken seriously to rectify it.
Every time we cannot be blaming outside agencies for our internal problems.
If the concept of Master of the Roaster is followed as the First among Equals, as a civilized order of principle, then, Parliament, filled only by the representative of people must be followed as the first among equals in our Democratic Republic government system, too.
Hence it is not only to identify the terrorists but also their masters and deal under the Defense of India Rules, National Security Act but also deal effectively to the system the functions, duties, powers, authority AND THEIR LIMITATIONS TOO EARLY PLEASE.
It is not only reserved to some irresponsible persons to shout foul of all such Constitutional Institutions and go unpunished but it is also the responsibility of responsible Representatives of People to show the Foul and see that such never happens in future.
It is the time for the Representatives of People of India to assert that India is a Great Nation with the RICH CULTURAL HERITAGE, INHERITED WITH KARMA YOGI DHARMA AS THE WAY OF LIFE, HAS BEEN OUR VIRTUE, NEEDS TO BE ASSERTED, RIGHT NOW AND HERE.
Money Power & Muscle Power cannot be the weakness of the Representative of People that other institutions take undue advantage to undermine our DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC SYSTEM.
K.S.Nagarajan,
Chennai.
Trustee: “Tad Dvam Asi Trust” (Registered)
Email: nagarajanks27@yahoo.co.in
If Nirmala Sitaraman can not protect the army from her own allies,how can we expect her to protect us from our enemies???
And we have this…obviously the “press” have different ideas of what can be discussed
A video “Kashmir a war of stones” on ChannelNews Asia speaking of the “occupation” of Kashmir by Indian forces
Sonia Singh of ndtv is married to a congress MP.
I read nidhi razdan is the current wife of omar abdullah .
What is the need to bring them in here. If that heps invalidate the FIR fine
I do not have tunnel vision. That FIR issue stands in relief from all.
My comments are self explanatory.
Look who is talking:-((
It is sonia singh of ndtv ( earlier sonia verma) who without taking the consent of Sri.Rajnath Singh our Home Minister that went ahead with bbc team to interview the rapists in Indian jail to make the infamous movie ” daughter of india” ( Nirbhaya rape).
Subsequently I saw Nirmala Seetharaman sitting inside ndtv studio calmly answering all questions of the same sonia singh. Both had palpable camaraderie.
How would Sri.Rajnath Singh feel on such lack of solidarity among bjp ministers .
The total destruction of precious MANGROVES of Maharshtra by bjp MP bollywood bimbo hemamalini ALSO had the approval of bjp leaders. Arnab Goswami made certain noises. That was all.
Subsequently I read Modi besotted with bollywood hemamalini has written a foreword for biography of hemamalini written by one ex editor of stardust. The media reported (sic) :-” Modi has always been in awe of hemamalini as someone who introduced Hindu Goddesses Durga , Lakshmi ….to the entire world through her dance….”.
Why do you bring them in here out of J.
The glaring discrepancies in bjp folks does perturb me.
I assume you know the meaning of SYNERGY.
Nothing exists in water tight compartments. Everything is interconnected.