Srinagar, Oct 20: Advising present Government to adopt people friendly approach, senior Congress leader and former Chief Minister of Jammu and Kashmir Ghulam Nabi Azad Wednesday said that it has become very vital to nab anyone involved in target killings so that their modus operandi could be known and made public. 

While condemning the target killings in Kashmir, Azad advised government not to harass bikers and detain them. “Petrol prices are touching sky and, in these circumstances, people prefer two wheelers instead of driving a car. So, the seizure of bikes and harassment to bikers should stop,” he said adding that such anti-people approach will further widen the gap between the government and common people.

Azad told reporters that two decades ago, Congress had not only curbed militancy but there was development as well. “Now there is no development. Unemployment graph has been showing upward trend. Price rise has broken the backbone of common men. Petrol prices have increased and same is the case with domestic gas. Construction work has come to a halt as there is tremendous rise in prices of sand, cement, bricks and other stuff,” he said.

Ghulam Nabi Azad who had been the former Union Minister for Health said that people of Kashmir have immensely suffered from past 30 years. “Let the government take positive steps to win the hearts and minds of the people. Instead of harassing people on the pretext of targeted killings, government should adopt people friendly approach and it should understand that people have faced a lot of hardships. Almost every family in Kashmir have lost at least a member due to militancy,” he said.

The former Rajya Sabha member in response to a question said that it is very important that an elected government should come into being so that grievances of the people are addressed. “It is not the job of bureaucrats to run the government. The job of bureaucrats is to follow the directions of the elected government. Statehood should be restored and elections conducted so that the existing gap between people and bureaucratic government should be bridged,” Azad said.

He said after meeting people from 11 districts, he felt the situation is very grim. “Everyone wants to know who these people are who are resorting to target killings. At least one among them should be arrested so that we come to know about their modus operandi,” he said. gns