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J&K; floods: Centre ignores separatists inciting flood victims

Srinagar: Armed forces are busy carrying out massive relief operations in flood ravaged Jammu and Kashmir but the separatists are trying to disrupt relief operations in the Valley by inciting flood victims against the Indian army.

But the BJP-led government at the Centre has decided to ignore such attempts by separatist elements to disrupt relief operations in the Kashmir Valley.

"We have closed our eyes. We are not looking towards them (separatists). We are determined to provide relief to people, no matter how difficult the situation is. The relief and rescue mission will continue," Home Minister Rajnath Singh said.

He added that the main priority of the government was to help people to recover from the worst-ever floods in 109 years. The Home Minister made the statement amid reports that some separatists were inciting people to pelt stones at rescue teams.

It is learned that the government has directed the forces working on the ground to not think too much about the attempts made by the separatists to derail the whole process and focus on humanitarian work.

The state government led by Chief Minister Omar Abdullah is also facing the ire of flood victims for slow rescue efforts. The locals have slammed the state government for not providing any kind of relief to them and have hailed the armed forces.

Army Chief General Dalbir Singh Suhag is overseeing the relief work and has assured that his soliders would not rest without rescuing each and every person. Over 130,000 people were rescued till Friday, officials said.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday appealed to the nation to contribute generously and to "stand shoulder to shoulder" with the distressed people of Jammu and Kashmir.