New Delhi: Raising the issue of ongoing exodus of Kashmiri Pandits from the valley, Congress' Leader in Lok Sabha Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury on Monday sought time for a detailed discussion on Jammu and Kashmir in the backdrop of targeted terror attacks in the valley.
Speaking in the Lower House during Zero Hour, Chowdhury said, "Today, Kashmiri Pandits are leaving Kashmir and terrorists preparing lists of names of Kashmiri Pandits to target them. In this situation, a detailed discussion should be held on the issue of Jammu & Kashmir in the House."
Raising the matter as the House took up "issues of urgent public importance", Chowdhury said, "Innocent civilians are losing lives in Jammu and Kashmir, and it is not stopping. At times by the terrorists' bullet, and at times due to the mistakes of the forces, innocent people are losing their lives."
"They had said in the House that after abrogation of Article 370, we will capture PoK, and Aksai Chin. But today, Pandits are being forced out of the valley, lists are being made by terrorists to eliminate Pandits," Chowdhury said.
"We want a detailed discussion in Lok Sabha on the situation in Jammu and Kashmir," the Congress leader said while mentioning that two civilians were shot dead and a third was injured on Friday morning near the gate of an Army facility.
"Innocent people have lost their lives in Rajouri due to the Army's mistake, the government should at
least give a statement," Chowdhury added.
On Wednesday, Union Minister of State for Home Affairs Nityanand Rai had told the Parliament that nine
Kashmiri Pandits were killed in the Kashmir Valley from 2020 to 2022.
Among the nine, four Kashmiri Pandits, including a person belonging to the Kashmiri Rajput community were killed in 2022, four in 2021, and one in 2020, mentions data shared in the Rajya Sabha by Rai in a written reply to Congress MP Rajmani Patel.