Pic Courtesy : HT
Srinagar/Nagpur: The Chief Minister of Jammu and Kashmir Mehbooba Mufti got angered by uncomfortable questions and abruptly ended a press conference addressed by her and Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh on August 25, 2016, when some media personnel asked questions about her role in dealing with the current unrest.
While answering to a question, Mehbooba Mufti said that she is for resolution of Kashmir issue. There should be dialogue.
However, no issue will be resolved by resorting to stone-pelting and attacking the camps. She claimed that they are not sidelining the issue. She reiterated that her government wants resolution. While explaining about the recent furore, Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti chose to explain the manner in which casualties took place, particularly of the youngsters.
Mehbooba Mufti claimed that 95 per cent of those killed (mostly youth) have died in retaliatory action while they were attacking the security establishments. She added that People have come onto the roads. They imposed curfew. While defending the security forces and the retaliatory fire when the youth were attacking the security establishments, She asked “Did the children go to army camps to buy toffees (candy)?” “Was the 15-year-old boy, who attacked the police station at Damhal Hanjipora (in south Kashmir), going there to get milk?”
Mehbooba Mufti suddenly got up, saying “thank you”, after replying to a question even as Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh was seated. Then Rajnath Singh too got up reluctantly ending the press interaction organized at her residence.
While responding to questions, Mehbooba condemned stone-pelting and other forms of violence being witnessed in Kashmir for the last 47 days and suggested that casualties will take place when camps of security forces and police pickets and police stations are attacked by violent mobs. She also elaborated on her earlier comments that only five per cent people of Kashmir are agitating. She said she meant to say that while 95 per cent of the people want resolution to the problem peacefully, five per cent had “hijacked” the issue by indulging in violence.
