New Delhi, Nov. 1: The Union home minister, Mr P. Chdiamabaram, is not very pleased with the Kashmir interlocutors sharing details of their discussions with various individuals and groups in the state with the media.
“The interlocutors should not give a ball-by-ball commentary about their dialogue.” “After all,” he said, “this is not a cricket match”.
The home minister was responding to queries about one of the interlocutors, Mr Dileep Padgaonkar, saying in a television interview that a terrorist whom he had met had expressed interest in submitting a peace plan.
He also felt that the media also “should not ask about details”. But he went on to say that the interlocutors had, to some extent, changed the level of discourse in the state. “I sincerely hope that people in the state give peace a chance and give the dialogue a chance,” he said.
Referring to the controversy raging between India and the United States over the latter not fully sharing information on Pakistani-American Lashkar-e-Tayyaba terrorist David Coleman Headley, the home minister tried to play down the matter, saying it had been “blown out of proportion”. The US, he said, had “shared intelligence with India before and after 26/11, though Headley’s name was not mentioned.”
Supporting the move of the Delhi police not filing a case against noted writer Arundhati Roy for her alleged seditious speech recently, Mr Chidambaram said that “the state must show tolerance and forbearance”' .
He said that the decision of not filing any case against Ms Roy and the Hurriyat hardliner leader, Mr Syed Ali Shah was in accordance with the letter and spirit of law.
“Not taking action is also an action,” he shot back responding to questions on why the government was not acting against Ms Roy for her “Azaadi” (independence) remarks made at a convention on Kashmir.
Mr Chidambaram on Monday said that the government is yet to take a decision on the Trinamool Congress’ demand for withdrawal of the Central paramilitary forces engaged in anti-Maoist operations in West Bengal. The CRPF head in the state has been asked to submit a report on the alleged presence of armed CPM camps.