Only humanitarian approach can solve Kashmir debacle, says CM on Vajpayee's death anniversary

Kolkata: On the first death anniversary of former Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee reiterated that the problem of Kashmir can be only solved by humanitarian approach and not by power of the gun.

Banerjee tweeted in this regard on Friday: "I offer my pranam to the former Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee on his first death anniversary. Remembering some of his words on this day. No problem can be solved by the power of the gun. The problem can be solved by three principles- insaniyat, jamhuriyat and kasmiriyat."

It may be mentioned that a day after Article 370 of the Indian Constitution giving special status to Jammu and Kashmir was scrapped by the Centre reducing it to a Union Territory from a state, Banerjee had condemned the procedure adopted by the Centre regarding the matter and stated that it should have tried to win the confidence of the people of Kashmir instead.

While addressing a gathering on the eve of Independence Day in Behala, the Trinamool Congress supremo had said when the entire country would be celebrating Independence Day, nobody would know how the people in Kashmir were passing their days.

"There was the problem of Maoists in Jhargram and we had carried out development work after winning the confidence of the people. Similar efforts are required in Kashmir and the Centre should try to win the confidence of the people," Banerjee said.