Jammu, 15 March (H.S.): Union minister Ramdas Athawale appealed to Naxalites on Sunday to shun violence and join the mainstream, while strongly condemning a recent attack on National Conference (NC) president Farooq Abdullah, saying such incidents are a matter of serious concern and unacceptable in a democratic country.

Athawale said the Centre stands with the people of Jammu and Kashmir, which has seen significant progress since the abrogation of Article 370 of the Constitution in 2019, and reiterated that statehood to the Union Territory may be restored soon.

“The attack on Abdullah (on March 11) is unfortunate and condemnable. He has always supported strong relations between Jammu and Kashmir and the rest of India. There may be ideological differences, but we must respect democratic values. No one has the right to take someone’s life,” the Republican Party of India (RPI) president told reporters here.

He said the NC was part of the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) earlier and Farooq Abdullah’s son, Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah, was a member of former prime minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee’s cabinet.

Athawale said Union Home Minister Amit Shah has spoken to Farooq Abdullah and given instructions to strengthen his security.

He said the Centre is against all forms of violence and wants peace to prevail in the country, referring to the Union government’s efforts to eradicate Naxalism, and added that those involved in extremist activities should shun the path of violence and join the democratic mainstream.

“Killing someone does not solve problems. If you fight for justice by killing people, you destroy yourself and others. We support the demands for justice for the poor, tribals and those living in hilly areas, but violence is not the solution. The solution is to come into the democratic system, contest elections and raise your voice in Parliament and the assemblies,” the Union minister said.

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Hindusthan Samachar / Krishan Kumar