Modi asked to restart talks to stabilise situation in Kashmir

NEW DELHI: The Chief Minister of Indian-controlled Kashmir, Mehbooba Mufti, has met Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi urging him to resume talks with separatists to help normalise the situation in the restive region.

Mufti met Modi in New Delhi on Monday to discuss the situation against the backdrop of an increase in violence and anti-India protests in Indian-controlled Kashmir. The hard-pressed Mufti invoked former Indian prime minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee to persuade Modi to resume the dialogue to achieve peace.

“We have to pick up the threads from where Vajpayee has left to move forward, otherwise there remains no chance to see an improvement of the situation in Kashmir,” Mufti said.

April saw violence in the region spiralling to such an extent that the Indian Election Commission had to postpone scheduled elections in Anantnag constituency by a month. On April 9, the day of polling for Indian elections in Srinagar constituency, massive anti-India protests were staged.

Eight people were killed and more than 200 people, including government force personnel, were injured in the clashes.

The situation sent alarm bells ringing for New Delhi. Mufti said there was a need to create an atmosphere for dialogue in the region as the government could not afford a confrontation with its people.

Last week, some Kashmiri students were attacked by locals in the Indian state of Rajasthan. Separately, threatening banners surfaced on billboards in Uttar Pradesh asking Kashmiris to leave. Hundreds of Kashmiris are living in different Indian states.