Rajnath, Mehbooba claim Kashmiri children are being used as human shield in clashes with forces

‘Stone pelters are only 5 pc of the population and we will deal with them under law’

Ahmed Ali Fayyaz
SRINAGAR: Taking a tough stand in one voice, Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh and Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti on Thursday claimed that ‘vested interests’ were using young Kashmiri children as human shield in the current spell of violence and clashes with Police and security forces.
Hardening her stand—that was initiated by the BJP ally Sajjad Lone and PDP’s Lok Sabha member Muzaffar Hussain Baig in the last one week—Mehbooba asserted at her first Press conference that less than 5% of the population was involved in stone pelting and clashes with Police. She said that her Government would deal with them under law and would not allow them to hold 95% of the population hostage.
Mehbooba alleged that some people were using these young children as human shield and encouraging them to clash with Police and security forces. She claimed that the forces were observing maximum possible restraint and using minimum possible force in which, unfortunately, the young children in the fore front were getting hit. She nevertheless clarified, in response to a journalist’s question, that 95% of the population in Kashmir was in favour of “seeking a peaceful resolution to the issues”.
Uncharacteristic of her, ever since she made her foray in politics 20 years back, Mehbooba asserted that the youngsters who were hit by pellets, bullets or teargas shells had not gone to buy milk or toffees at an Army camp.
Rajnath Singh joined Mehbooba in the impromptu press conference, that was first by Mehbooba after taking over as Chief Minister on April 4 this year and coincided with the Union Home Minister’s conclusion of the two-day-long visit. With Singh being on fast and the Government offices closed on account of Janamashthami, it was held at Chief Minister’s Fair View residence on Gupkar Road.
Even as Rajnath was calm and composed all through the press conference and his conduct was impressive, Mehbooba took umbrage on a journalist’s question over his comparison of the current street turbulence to that of 2010. In his question, the journalist had suggested that former Chief Minister Omar Abdullah and the incumbent Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti had “swapped roles”. He suggested that both were equally