No dialogue possible amid bullets, stones: Mehbooba
Jammu and Kashmir chief minister Mehbooba Mufti said on Monday Prime Minister Narendra Modi was “amenable” to talks with all stakeholders to restore peace in the region but that no dialogue was possible in the face of bullets and stones.
Mufti made the comments after meeting Modi in New Delhi on a day violence spiralled in Kashmir.
She referred to former PM Atal Bihari Vajpayee’s more moderate vision for Kashmir, and said Modi too believed in that approach to peace.
“Modiji has said he will follow in the footsteps of Vajpayeeji, whose policy was of reconciliation...,” Mufti said. “There is no option but to talk, but it can’t happen amid stone-throwing, bullets.” Vajpayee’s government was the first to hold talks with Kashmiri separatists in 2004. Asked if Modi was prepared to talk to the separatists, Mufti said, “We need to pick up from where Vajpayeeji left, otherwise the situation will never improve”. There was no immediate confirmation of this from the Prime Minister’s Office.
Kashmir has remained largely paralysed since July when government forces shot dead a young militant leader, Burhan Wani, touching off months of deadly street protests. The government responded with force, leaving more than 100 people dead. Violence spiked again this month after eight people were killed during a by-election in Srinagar.
Since then, several video clips purportedly showing alleged human rights abuses by security forces have also added to public anger, often manifested in large throngs of stone-throwing crowds taking small groups of well-armed security forces.
Mufti also met Union home minister Rajnath Singh. After the meeting she said the situation in Kashmir would improve in 2-3 months but did not spell out how.
PDP LEADER DAR SHOT DEAD IN PULWAMA
Meanwhile, unidentified assailants shot dead Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) leader Abdul Gani Dar on Monday amid mounting tension and clashes between civilians and security forces in Kashmir.
He was hit with three bullets in his chest, a source said.