Once Gagangir-Type Attacks Stop, Only Then Statehood Can Be Restored: Ashok Koul

SRINAGAR, Oct 24: Senior BJP leader Ashok Koul said on Thursday that once Gagangir-type attacks stop, only then statehood can be restored to Jammu and Kashmir.Talking to some reporters on the sidelines of a BJP function to pay tribute to the late Prem Nath Dogra, Ashok Koul said, “Chief Minister Omar Abdullah has met the Union Home Minister. He will also meet the Prime Minister. There is no harm if Omar has put forth his demand for restoration of statehood. When Gagangir-type attacks stop only then can a final call be taken by the Centre on restoration of statehood to J&K. This decision will be taken only by the Central government,” he said.Koul said Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah are on record about restoration of Statehood to J&K at an appropriate time.“Now it is the agencies and the Centre that would take a call on whether statehood needs to be restored. Perhaps the timing of the attack at Gagangir was wrong for the terrorists otherwise there would have been casualties of hundreds of workers,” he said.He added that former Chief Minister and National Conference (NC) president Dr Farooq Abdullah has already condemned the incident, and Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) president Mehbooba Mufti has also condemned the attack though guardedly.“These incidents need the highest form of condemnation. These are attempts to destabilise the peace and the new government in J&K. Earlier such attacks were carried out in Kathua, Reasi, Poonch and Rajouri districts of Jammu division, 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 question 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 Salahuddin to India. “Let Pakistan hand over Salahuddin to India, only then talks can happen,” he asserted.The BJP leader dismissed any future possibility of restoration of Article 370. He said, “No power can bring back article 370.” (AGENCIES)