Govt has turned battle against terror into battle against Kashmiris, Muslims: Sitaram Yechury
New Delhi, Mar 4: There has been an "orchestrated effort" by the BJP and the RSS to rouse "jingoistic nationalism" after the Pulwama terror attack and the government has turned the battle against terrorism into one against Muslims and Kashmiris, the CPI(M) alleged Monday.
CPI(M) General Secretary Sitaram Yechury said the government must step up diplomatic efforts to present an united India against terrorism in the aftermath of the Pulwama terror attack of February 14, in which 40 CRPF personnel lost their lives.
"A united India rose against terrorism. Instead of strengthening this, the post-Pulwama developments are seeing an orchestrated effort by the BJP and Sangh Parivar outfits to rouse jingoistic nationalism.
"The targeting of Kashmiris in various parts of the country, the calls for abrogation of Articles 370 and 35A are all turning this battle of Indians against terrorism into battles against Kashmiris and Muslims to further deepen the communal polarisation," he said.
He said the present situation in Jammu and Kashmir was the result of failed policies in the state and claimed that during the course of the present government, terror incidents saw a rise of 176 per cent.
The number of security personnel killed saw a rise of 93 per cent. On an average, eleven terrorists infiltrated every month between 2014 and 2018, he claimed.
Yechury said that what was more dangerous was the sharp rise in local Kashmiri youths joining terror groups, from 16 such cases in 2013 to 164 in 2018.
"This deepening alienation of Kashmiri youth is a consequence of the Modi government reneging on its promises to initiate a political process of dialogue with all the stakeholders in Jammu and Kashmir and the implementation of confidence building measures," he said.
Accusing Prime Minister Narendra Modi and BJP leaders of "politicising" the issue, he said they were disrupting the united fight of Indians against terrorism for their "partisan electoral benefit".
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Man arrested with Rs 2.54-crore heroin in Mumbai
Mumbai (PTI): Police have arrested a man and seized over 500 grams of heroin worth Rs 2.54 crore in the illicit market from him in Mumbai, officials said on Friday.
The police's Anti-Narcotics Cell (ANC) made the drug seizure in Santacruz in the western suburbs. The operation was conducted by the Kandivali unit of the ANC on Thursday as part of a special crackdown against drug trafficking in the area, they said.
Acting on specific inputs, an ANC team conducted a raid in Santacruz (East) and intercepted a man. During a search, the team recovered 508 grams of high-grade heroin from his possession, an official said.
The seized contraband, a highly addictive, opioid drug derived from morphine, is estimated to be worth Rs 2.54 crore in the international market, he informed.
Following the seizure, a case was registered against the man under relevant sections of the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act, 1985, and he was formally placed under arrest in the early hours of Friday.
The police are currently investigating the source of the drug and trying to identify the intended recipients of the consignment, he said.
