Pakistan will be forced to stop ceasefire violations: Rajnath

Jammu, Sep 12 (IANS) Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh on Tuesday said that India will "ensure" that Pakistan is forced to end ceasefire violations in Jammu and Kashmir.

Addressing a media conference in winter capital Jammu, Rajnath Singh said, "Since 2014 Pakistan has violated the ceasefire agreement 400 times.

"We will ensure that Pakistan is forced to stop these ceasefire violations," he asserted.

The Home Minister, who is on the fourth and last day of his visit to Jammu and Kashmir, also announced that any civilian killed or injured in cross border firing with 50 per cent or more disability would be given monetary support of Rs 5 lakh.

He said: "For the last four days I have been visiting J&K. I went to Nowshera yesterday where thousands of people were present.

"I met BSF jawans and also those of the army there. After meeting the people in Nowshera, I have felt that these people are the strategic assets of the country. Their spirit and nationalism makes all Indians proud.

"Despite ceasefire violations, they continue to live at the borders. Their contribution in protecting the borders of the country is immense. Sixty safety bunkers have been constructed for border residents and more will be constructed."

The Union Home Minister said the National Investigation Agency (NIA) is an autonomous investigating agency and no government in power should intervene in its working.

"NIA is an independent, autonomous organization and they are acting according to the law of the land. No government should intervene in the working of this agency," Singh said.

The Minister was answering a question on the NIA crackdown on Kashmiri separatists in connection with the terror funding case being investigated by the anti-terror agency.

Speaking on the presence of Rohingya refugees in Jammu, Singh said the Rohingya refugees living in Jammu city are illegal migrants.

"Rohingyas living in Jammu are illegal migrants, and I do not rule out security threat due to their presence," he said.

Earlier on Tuesday, a state BJP leaders delegation that met the Union Home Minister demanded that the over 4,500 Rohingya Muslims living in Jammu should be sent back.

Answering a question on Congress Vice President Rahul Gandhi's statement blaming the BJP for destroying the image of the ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Jammu and Kashmir and also the alleged failure of the Narendra Modi government to control separatist violence in the state, Rajnath Singh said, "We do not believe in blaming anybody, otherwise we know what happened in Kashmir in 1989.

"I do not claim that the situation is back to normal in Kashmir, but it is definitely improving with every passing day," he said.

Rajnath Singh's reference to 1989 stems from the general belief that the rigging of state assembly elections in Kashmir by the NC-Congress ruling alliance was responsible for the youth losing faith in democracy and taking to guns.

Earlier in the day, the NC, BJP, Panthers Party and some other delegations met the Minister here.

He is leaving for New Delhi on Tuesday after ending his four-day visit to the state.