Meghalaya Congress women chief demands recall of Governor Roy

Shillong, Feb 20 (IANS) Meghalaya Governor Tathagata Roy on Tuesday supported a call for boycott of "everything Kashmiri" following the terror attack at Pulwama in Jammu and Kashmir that claimed the lives of 40 CRPF troopers on Thursday.

Quoting an appeal from a retired Army Colonel, Roy tweeted: "Don't visit Kashmir, don't go to Amarnath for the next 2 years. Don't buy articles from Kashmir emporia or Kashmiri tradesman who come every winter. Boycott everything Kashmiri. I am inclined to agree."

However, Roy's tweets evoked sharp reactions from the opposition Congress in the state.

State's Congress women's president Jopin Scott Shylla demanded recall of Governor Roy for his controversial tweet for supporting an appeal of unnamed colonel of an Indian Army to "boycott everything Kashmiri".

"Kashmir is part and parcel of India. We are against Pakistan and not against Kashmiri. We completely disagree with Governor's comment," Shylla, who led a candle light vigil to pay homage to the CRPF soldiers killed in the Pulwama terror attacks, in Meghalaya's capital on Tuesday, said.

Following criticism to his tweet, the Meghalaya governor again replied in his twitter: "Vociferously violent from media and several others to my ECHOING of a suggestion from a retired army colonel. A purely NON-VIOLENT REACTION to the killing of our soldiers by the hundreds and the driving out of 3.5 lakh Kashmiri Pandits."

Roy further tweeted: "The Pakistan Army (who are handling the Kashmiri separatists) was among their own in East Pakistan in 1971. They slaughtered and raped right and left. And they would have kept EP but for the whacking from India." I am not suggesting that we go that far. But at least some distance?"