Srinagar, May 24: Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha Saturday said that Islam preaches peace and this peaceful doctrine needs much propagation so that the true message of Islam reaches everybody.
Laying the foundation stone of a guest house at Dargah Hazratbal in Srinagar, the LG said that there was a need to contribute in the establishment of peace in Kashmir by exposing the elements who are supporters of the enemies of peace.
He urged religious scholars and preachers to use their powerful platforms to speak against terrorism and anti-peace elements.
Quoting Quran and Hadith, LG Sinha said that Islamís peace doctrines need much propagation so that the true message of religion reaches everybody.
He appealed to those in positions of responsibility in J&K to stop using phrases like locals and non-locals.
ìWe all are Indians,î the LG said in his address.
He called for collective efforts to foster the spirit of ëEk Bharat Shreshtha Bharatí (One India, Excellent India) and promote unity across diverse communities.
LG Sinha said statements like the ìguests are spoiling the culture of J&Kî or ìdemographic invasionî were truly problematic and urged people to oppose such statements.
ìStop dividing Indians into locals and outsiders,î he said. ìYou should work to unite people so that a united society can take J&K to greater heights of growth.î
Extending his felicitations to members of the Jammu Kashmir Waqf Board and all stakeholders, the LG said in the past few years, the basic facilities for the pilgrims had seen tremendous improvement and the infrastructure development had eased the pilgrimage to Hazratbal, a revered spiritual centre.
He called upon the people to ensure that ìwe rid the society of elements aiding and abetting terrorists, bring the terror elements hiding among the public to justice and the infrastructure and other projects must be given a new impetus to meet the developmental needs of the peopleî.
Paying homage to the people killed in Pahalgam, LG Sinha said, ìOperation Sindoor avenged the Pahalgam terror attack by punishing terror state Pakistan and firmly enforced Indiaís zero-tolerance policy towards terrorism.î
He said: ìThe brave soldiers of our armed forces have not only destroyed the terror factories deep inside Pakistan but have also drawn a new red line. Now any terror attack will be considered an ëact of warí and Pakistan will be given the harshest punishment for it.î
The LG said: ìWe need to strike hard at the terror ecosystem. The aides of terrorists should be identified and they should be given the same punishment as a terrorist for inflicting wounds on the soul of J&K.î
He said: ìAfter the terror attack in Pahalgam, the kind of protests that were seen on the J&Kís streets against the terrorist country Pakistan were historic. The valley echoed with slogans against terrorism.î
LG Sinha also prayed that Prophet Muhammad (SAW) and Baba Amarnath may shower their blessings and strengthen the love, peace, and brotherhood in the society.
He praised the Waqf Board and Andrabi for the new infrastructural project and said that this great work was inspirational.
The LG laid the foundation stone of the guest house complex in presence of Chairperson of J&K Waqf Board Darakhshan Andrabi, Director General of Police (DGP) Nalin Prabhat; IGP Kashmir Vidhi Kumar Birdi; Divisional Commissioner Kashmir, Vijay Kumar Bidhuri; members of J&K Waqf Board; senior officials; religious leaders; prominent citizens and people in large number.
Earlier, in her welcome address, Andrabi thanked the LG for laying the foundation for the new project.
She said that the Waqf Board was the custodian of important spiritual centres throughout J&K and had completely transformed the management system and ensured transparent financial management.
Andrabi thanked the LG and the administration for supporting the Waqf Board in implementing its reformative projects amid grave opposition from the opponents.
She said that upgradation of facilities at Waqf Board managed shrines had remained the priority of the board and that it had succeeded in giving a facelift to the all-important spiritual sites in the entire J&K.
Andrabi said that the need for a guesthouse was assessed by the board.
ìWe are feeling honoured by the blessings of the LG at this event,î she said.
