Don't politically penalise Modi Govt for exploring peaceful means: Mehbooba Mufti

Former chief minister of Jammu and Kashmir, Mehbooba Mufti, on Tuesday said that the Opposition should desist from knee-jerk reactions and the Narendra Modi government should not be politically penalised for exploring peaceful means.

Mufti, who heads the People’s Democratic Party, said that those who criticise the ceasefire from the comfort of air-conditioned studios and drawing rooms should spend time with their families on the borders to truly understand the daily reality of death and destruction.

“I appeal to all the Opposition parties to resist the urge for knee-jerk criticism or political point-scoring. The Modi government should not be politically penalised for exploring peaceful means. This is a time for bipartisan statesmanship not division,” she said.


The PDP chief said that just as the Pahalgam incident united voices from Kashmir to Kanyakumari, there is need to build a national consensus on a peace process that safeguards national interests.

“Leaders like Atal Bihari Vajpayee and Manmohan Singh proved that cross-border engagement is possible even in tense times without compromising security or sovereignty,” said Mufti. She urged the Opposition to rise above politics and support genuine efforts for peace and stability.

The PDP leader, who was the CM of J&K in the PDP-BJP coalition government during 2016-18, said it was high time India wakes up to the toxic narratives being amplified by television channels that have dangerously distracted the country from its real challenges and priorities.

“While fanatic mobs in India are vandalising shops, bulldozing mosques and digging up graves to punish the long dead Mughal emperor Aurangzeb –– across the border his namesake Air Vice Marshal Aurangzeb Ahmed is training his forces for modern air warfare," said Mufti.