Sagardighi/Bahal Nagar (West Bengal): Leader of the Congress in the Lok Sabha, Adhir Chowdhury, on Wednesday slammed the BJP-led government at the Centre for allegedly pursuing "wrong policies" that led to "worsening" of the situation in Jammu and Kashmir.
He also wrote to Union Home Minister Amit Shah urging him to ensure safety and security of non-Kashmiris working there in various capacities.
Five labourers from West Bengal's Murshidabad district were shot dead and another was injured by terrorists in Kulgam district of South Kashmir on Tuesday.
In another letter, the Congress leader also requested Prime Minister Narendra Modi to send an all-party delegation to Kashmir to assess the situation there and extend financial support to the victims' families from his relief fund.
"The situation in the Valley is becoming worse with every passing day. It is going out of our hands because of the wrong policies of the central government, which is only busy trying to hide the real situation," Chowdhury told reporters after meeting the family members of the victims at Sagardighi.
"The government is not allowing an all-party delegation of the country to visit the Valley but is allowing an EU delegation," he said.
A delegation of 23 European Union MPs visited Kashmir on Tuesday for a first-hand assessment of the situation in the state following the revocation of its special status under Article 370.
A large number of people from West Bengal, especially Murshidabad district, are employed in Kashmir, Chowdhury who is a five-time MP from Berhampore in the district, said in his letter to Shah.
"Please ensure safety and security of these people as the family members are unable to connect with them. All the labourers and workers in the valley should return to their homes safely," he said in the letter.
He also requested Shah to open a helpline so that the family members can get in touch with their near and dear ones who are still in the Valley.
After meeting family members of the victims, Chowdhury told reporters that he has spoken to Shah over the phone and urged him to make arrangements to bring back the bodies and other labourers from West Bengal from Kashmir.
"The home secretary told me that the DGP of Jammu and Kashmir had a word with his counterpart in West Bengal for sending the bodies to the eastern state," Chowdhury said.
CPI(M) central committee member Sujan Chakraborty said the union government should be answerable for the deaths of the five labourers. Senior Trinamool Congress leader and state minister Arup Roy too blamed the BJP-led central government for its failure to control the situation in the Valley.
"The recent incidents of violence after the abrogation of Article 370 is a proof that the situation has worsened and not improved as promised by the Modi government," Roy said.
A TMC delegation led by Kolkata Mayor Firhad Hakim will visit the family members of the deceased labourers. West Bengal BJP president Dilip Ghosh criticised the TMC and other parties for "trying to politicise" the terrorist attack.
"We condemn the attempts to politicise the incident. The central government is taking all the required steps," Ghosh said.
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