Expressing concern over resurgence of terrorism in Jammu and Kashmir, Congress has said the government should take steps to restore peace there to ensure that no killing takes place in the Valley after today’s  brutal murder of a bank manager.

Addressing a press conference at the party headquarters here on Friday, Senior Congress leader Vivek Tankha pointed out that more than eight innocent civilians have been killed in the Kashmir Valley in the last one month. Terrorists, he said are carrying out targeted killings with impunity creating panic among the employees posted in the government offices in different parts of the Valley who have started demanding their relocation.

The Congress leader said it’s time the government answered what was its policy to restore peace in Kashmir. There is a need to take steps for normalcy to return to the Union territory for which the government should talk to the leaders of all political parties. They should talk to all the stakeholders to bring peace because without talking to them it is not possible to solve the problem.

When asked who the stakeholders are, he said it is for the government to decide.

Pointing out that the Central government is has been running the administration of Jammu and Kashmir for a long time now, Tankha said it won’t have an excuse that the situation there has deteriorated due to 60-70 years of work. More than eight innocent lives have been lost in a span of just one month. Government institutions are also not safe in the Kashmir Valley. Security should be beefed up to meet the challenge posed by terrorists so that not a single life is lost to the terrorists’ bullets after last night’s killing of a bank manager.

Accusing the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) of relying too much on propaganda, he said unlike the ruling saffron party the Congress does not bank on propaganda to eradicate the sufferings of the people. What we see in the Valley today is the result of BJP’s indiscretion, he said.

Taking a jibe at the BJP, Tankha said the issue of Kashmir is more than 370, the problem cannot be resolved without talking to the stakeholders.

First of all, he said the government should work on to restore full statehood to Jammu and Kashmir. As soon as the government restores full statehood to the region after abolishing the Union territory status, half of its problems will be resolved and more than half of the prosperity will return to the Kashmir.