Excelsior Correspondent
Srinagar, Aug 25: Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti today said that trouble makers will be strongly dealt with and won’t be allowed to make life hell for the majority in Kashmir who want peaceful resolution of the issues.
Addressing a joint press conference with Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh here at her residence, Mehbooba said: “I hope focus should be those people who want reconciliation within the ambit of Insaniyat, like Vajpayee had said. And people who create trouble will be dealt as per law. They will not be allowed to make life hell for majority here,” she said.
Chief Minister said no solution can be found from stone pelting and attacking security camps. She said 95 per cent people of Jammu and Kashmir want a peaceful solution through dialogue and just five per cent are derailing the whole process. “95 per cent people of the State don’t want violence, they want peace. We have to reach out to them,” she said.
Mehbooba said focus of the Central Government and political parties should be those 95 per cent Kashmiris who do not want to create trouble, who do not want to attack establishment for vested interests.
“Let us differentiate between those people who want peaceful resolution through dialogue, reconciliation and those who train poor children to pelt stones on roads and camps”, said Chief Minister. She said Kashmiri youth are being used by some elements as shields to attack Army camps as “they want our children to suffer”.
Mehbooba while elaborating on her comments that only 5 per cent people of Kashmir are agitating, said that she meant to say that while 95 per cent of the people want resolution to the problem peacefully, 5 per cent have “hijacked” the issue by indulging in violence.
“I am for resolution of Kashmir issue. There should be dialogue. But by resorting to stone-pelting and attacking the camps, no issue will be resolved. We are not sidelining the issue. We want resolution,” she said.
Mehbooba said: “95 per cent of those killed, mostly youth, have died in retaliatory action while they were attacking the security establishments.”
The Chief Minister said: “People have come on the roads. We imposed curfew. Did the children go to Army camps to buy toffees? Was the 15-year-old boy, who attacked the police station at Damhal Hanjipora going there to fetch milk?”
Mehbooba said she supports action against those security personnel who are involved in the killing of a lecturer in Khrew area of Pulwama district earlier this month. “There is the case of lecturer. An inquiry should be held and punishment should be given the culprits. I support it,” she said.
Chief Minister condemned stone pelting and other forms of violence 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.
As journalists kept asking questions about her role in dealing the situation and her role as an opposition leader during 2010 summer unrest, Singh tried to mediate by telling the media persons: “Mehbooba ji is from among you”.
However, Mehbooba was quick to reply, saying: “What will they tell me? I have saved the youth of South Kashmir from Task Force. I have saved them from the knives when they were taken for bonded labour.”
Home Minister repeatedly tried to calm the Chief Minister by tapping her. However, Mehbooba continued to reply to the queries of the journalists and said: “Violent means have no place anywhere in the world” and “if you want to defame an issue, you resort to violence.”
When a reporter suggested that Mehbooba had changed her stance after coming to power since as an opposition leader during the 2010 agitation she had criticised the Omar Abdullah Government for wanton arrests and caging of separatist leaders but was following the same tactics while in power, Mehbooba said: “Your analysis is wrong. In 2010, there was a reason. There was a fake encounter in Macchil in which three civilians were killed. Then there were allegations of rape and murder of two women in Shopian. That means there was a reason for people’s anger. This year an encounter took place as happens. Three militants were killed. What was the fault of the Government?”
Mehbooba lost her cool during the press conference and abruptly ended the press conference being addressed by her and Rajnath Singh here when journalists asked questions about her role in dealing with the unrest.
She suddenly got up, saying “thank you”, after replying to a question even as Home Minister was seated.
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