Kashmiri Muslims must protect Hindus: Chidambaram

Union Home Minister P Chidambaram said it was the responsibility of the majority Muslim community in Jammu and Kashmir to protect the Hindus in the state.

"The golden rule of democracy is that the majority has to protect the minority and its sub-rule is that those who are in majority at the national level may be in minority at the state level, which is true in J&K", Chidambaram said addressing Congress leaders and workers at the PCC headquarters here.

"Here, it is the responsibility of the majority community (Muslims) to protect the Hindus in Jammu and Kashmir", he said.

While the Sikhs in Punjab have to protect the Hindus, in Tamil Nadu, it is the Tamils who will have to protect the non-Tamils there, he said adding it is not the religious minority alone but even the linguistic and ethnic majority has to take up the role of protecting the minorities.

Referring to the dialogue process in Jammu and Kashmir, he said the Centre would be holding a dialogue with all shades of political opinion in the state.