Modi Govt's policies have set Kashmir on fire : Rahul Gandhi

"I have been saying this for a long time that the policies of Narendra Modi and NDA has burned down Jammu & Kashmir," he told reporters.

Gandhi said the Kashmir issue is an internal matter and there is no need of involving a third party in discussion over controversial issue.

"India is Kashmir and Kashmir is India. This is our internal matter and we don't need any third party's involvement in it."

The problem in Kashmir  snowballed into a major challenge for  both the Centre and the state government as incidents of stone pelting at the Army by common people, continuous protests and  cross-border terrorism have increased. The situation turned for the worse particularly after the encounter death of  Hizbul leader Burhan Wani in July, 2016.

After the terror attack on Amarnath pilgrims in Anantnag on July 10, Rahul Gandhi had come down heavily on Prime Minister Narendra Modi's  policies and the Bharatiya Janata Party's (BJP) alliance with Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti's People's Democratic Party (PDP).

In a series of tweets,  Gandhi  had said Modi's policies have created space for terrorists in Kashmir which is a "grave strategic blow" to India.

Earlier in the day, National Conference chief  Farooq Abdullahsaid  India should approach to  to third parties like  the United States and China, to mediate in the Kashmir issue.

He called for holding bilateral dialogues between India and Pakistan to defuse the border tension, saying violence and warfare are not the solution to the Kashmir problem.

"For how long are you going to wait? Sometimes, you have to catch the bull by the horns. War means annihilation, as they (Pakistan) have atomic bombs, just like we do. The way (to resolve the issue) is through dialogue," he said.

Image: twitter.com/OfficeOfRG