JAMMU: While opposition leaders led by working President of the National Conference Omar Abdullah were busy networking in New Delhi and knocking at the door steps of who’s who in Lutyens Delhi to kickstart the dialogue process towards resolution of Kashmir issue, Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti remained busy doing damage control in Jammu in order to win the hearts and minds of the common Kashmiris’.
Contending that the unrest in Kashmir was “pre-planned”, Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti on Monday said a “handful of people” were deliberately keeping the Valley on the boil while 95 per cent people were peace-loving and should not be punished for the fault of 5 per cent.
Standing rock solid behind the people of Kashmir Valley, Mehbooba Mufti during her first visit to Jammu in the recent weeks said only 5 per cent are creating violence in Kashmir while the rest 95 per cent are peace loving people.
Without naming Kashmiri separatists, she said one section of people, who themselves are not facing the bullets and the canes, are instigating children, teenagers to indulge into violence, she said, adding, “They are using young minds as their shields. The youngsters and our blue-eyed are being used as tool by negative forces, who instead of channelising energies, make use of them in escalating the violence.”
“There are forces who could not digest the developmental programmes initiated under Agenda of Alliance (AoA) by PDP-BJP Government and were not able to see peace returning to the state,” the CM said.
Addressing an impressive gathering after inaugurating the first phase of the sewage treatment plant in Jammu Mehbooba Mufti said, “Kashmiris are not stone-pelters. They are peace loving, they want to open their shops, they want to send their wards to school.”
The CM said, “I want to make an appeal to the Centre that do not see people of Kashmir with same eye. There are only 5 per cent of people, who are disturbing peace and creating law and order situation in the Valley, but 95 per cent are innocent people and they want to live in peace but are suffering due to a section of selfish creatures.”I appeal to Centre to take care of those 95 per cent people. ‘Apne to apne log hein’ and they are in problem,” she added.
Without naming separatists and opposition parties including National Conference and Congress, Mufti said, “There are a section of people who are making all attempts to create disturbance in the Valley and this shows that they do not represent the state.”
People of Kashmir have understood the real meaning of “Azaadi” (freedom), she said adding, “They want freedom from such forces, who are troublemakers and creating disturbances, disrupting peace.”
The chief minister said that three militants were killed in a gunbattle and it was nothing new as encounters and killing of militants is 25 years long matter, “but section of people got an opportunity to rake up the issue and put peaceful Kashmir on boil.”
Mehbooba Mufti said, “I want to say that there are countries which claim themselves as independent but are the worst victims of terrorism.
She said countries like Syria, Iraq, Turkey and Afghanistan are victims of terrorism, adding, “Once weapon enters such independent nations, there remains no peace.”
The PDP chief said, “Dialogue is the only solution to solve all the crisis not the weapon and due to terrorism Muslims are facing embarrassment across the world and only a section of people and class are responsible for this”.
When asked about Omar Abdullah-led opposition leaders meeting with President Pranab Mukherjee and the Prime Minister Narendra Modi for the last three days, she said if the meeting helps resolve Kashmir unrest this is a welcome step and centre should listen their view point also.
CM praises Jammu people
Jammu: Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti on Monday praised the people of Jammu for “maintaining peace and communal harmony despite provocation”.
“I have got an opportunity to thank the people of Jammu for maintaining communal harmony and providing support to the government despite the one-and-a-half-month-long unrest in Kashmir. I am thankful to you for this,” she said here.
“Amarnath yatra passed off peacefully during this unrest as people have taken care of the pilgrims in Kashmir Valley despite the bad situation, this is our character,” she said.
“A handful of people, who are trying to create trouble in Kashmir Valley and in Jammu, do not reflect the true image of Jammu and Kashmir,” she said.
Narrating an incident in which a Kashmiri woman prevented attack on a makeshift community kitchen where pilgrims were staying on Pahalgam route, she said this is the “true image of Kashmir”.
“When an accident of a vehicle carrying pilgrims took place at Bijbehara, people took them (pilgrims) to their homes. These are the true images of Kashmir,” she said.
The people of Jammu, particularly Hindus, have maintained peace and communal harmony despite provocation and instigation, she said, adding “you have reflected the true essence of nationalism”.
“Nationalism does not mean you have to reply every stone with a stone and every slogan with an opposite slogan, but it means when you maintain calm and peace and work for the country, for this I am obliged to you all,” she said.