Kashmir issue, naxalism and terrorism will be solved by 2022: Rajnath Singh

Lucknow: Addressing a programme on building a 'new India' here, Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh on Friday said that solution to the Kashmir problem, terrorism, naxalism, northeast insurgency will be found before 2022. 

Speaking at the programme 'Sankalp se Siddhi', Singh asserted that country is facing problems of terrorism, naxalism, Kashmir problem and northeast insurgency but a solution to these problems will be found before 2022 as Prime Minister Narendra Modi led government has pledged to make a new India by 2022.

"There are a lot of problems like terrorism, naxalism, Kashmir problem and northeast insurgency. There is no need to tell you much about all these problems. But, I want to assure you that if we (Government) has adopted a resolution for a new India by 2022 then I want to assure countrymen that a solution to all these problems will be found before 2022," Rajnath stated. 

The Union Home Minister's assertion comes in the backdrop of the National Investigation Agency's (NIA's) crackdown on Kashmiri separatists.

The NIA visited Srinagar in May to probe the alleged funding by Pakistan for illegal activities in Kashmir, and questioned several Separatist leaders on the issue of raising, collecting and transferring funds via the Hawala route and other channels to fund terror activities in Kashmir.

On July 24, the NIA arrested seven separatists over money laundering charges, for funding terror in the Kashmir Valley.

All seven separatist leaders - Altaf Shah, Ayaz Akbar, Peer Saifullah, Mehraj Kalwal, Shahid-ul-Islam, Naeem Khan and Bitta Karate - were later sent to 10-day NIA custody.

The accused have been charged under various sections of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) and the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act.

On Friday, one Zahoor Ahmad Watali, a close aide of Hurriyat leader Syed Ali Shah Geelani, was sent to 10-day NIA remand in connection with the terror funding case.

According to a NIA source, Watali used to get the money through Dubai, Pakistan and even Pakistan High commission in India and worked as a conduit for separatists from more than 10 years.

The NIA source added that Naseem Geelani, son of Syed Ali Shah Gilani, also received money from Pakistan and Dubai for terror funding.

Another Kashmiri separatist Kashmiri separatist Shabir Shah is under Enforcement Directorate (ED) net. On August 9, Shah was sent to a 14-day judicial custody by a court here in a decade-old case of money laundering for alleged terror-financing. 

(With inputs from ANI)