Ganderbal attack fall-out: Sr BJP leader says Pak must handover Syed Salahudin to India, till then no talks‘Agencies, Centre to take final call on restoration of Statehood in J&K, no Govt can bring back Article 370’

TDD Correspondent
Srinagar, Oct 24 (TDD): Days after the deadly attack in Gagangeer, Ganderbal district of Central Kashmir that left a doctor and six labourers dead, senior BJP leader Ashok Koul today said Pakistan must hand over top militant commander Syed Salahudin to India and till then no talks can be held with the neighbouring country.
“There can be no talks with Pakistan until it hands over Syed Salahudin to India,” Koul told reporters on the sidelines of a function organised by BJP to pay tributes to Pandit Prem Nath Dogra in Srinagar.
Koul said Prime Minister Narendera Modi and Union Home Minister is on record about restoration of Statehood to J&K at an appropriate time.
“Now it’s the Agencies and the Centre that would take a call whether Statehood needs to be restored,” Koul said, adding that if Gangangeer type attacks would stop only then the call for restoration of Statehood will be taken. “Perhaps the timing of the attack was wrong at Gagangeer, otherwise there would have been causalities of hundreds of workers,” he said.
He said that earlier it was Kathua, Reasi and Rajouri where innocents were targeted and now it is Kashmir. “Today also a non-local labourer was injured in Tral which again is highly condemnable,” he said.
Replying to a query as to whether there should be talks with Pakistan, Koul said no talks can be held with the neighbouring country unless it hands over militant commanders including Syed Salahudin to India. “Let Pakistan handover Salahudin to India, only then talks can happen,” he said.
About possibility of restoration of Article 370, Koul said no government in J&K can bring back the Article 370 back. “There should be no confusion in this,” he said. “Article 370 has gone forever and can’t return.” (TDD)