Dialogue and reconciliation need of the hour: Mehbooba

Dialogue and reconciliation need of the hour: Mehbooba

Anantnag: Asserting that her father’s vision of “reconciliation and dialogue” was the need of the hour, former Chief Minister of Jammu and Kashmir, Mehbooba Mufti on Thursday said that the erstwhile state has further drifted away from New Delhi after abrogation of Article 370.
She was talking to media persons after offering prayers at the grave of her father Mufti Muhammad Sayeed in Bijbehara town of Anantnag district. It was the fifth death anniversary of Mufti, who has also served as the Chief Minister of Jammu and Kashmir.
“The people of India should realise that the ruling BJP has misused their majority on August 5 of 2019. They unleashed tyranny on the people of this state, which used to be the crown of India. The state has only further drifted away from the rest of the country during the time gone by since,” Mufti said.
She said that the people of Jammu and Kashmir had chosen India, despite being a Muslim majority state.
“The government in New Delhi should understand that people’s hearts and minds can never be won with force. It is a war of ideas and it has to be won through dialogue,” she said, adding that the need of the hour was to hold on to the vision of her late father and give peace a chance.
According to Mufi, her father believed in dialogue and reconciliation which he thought was imperative for peace.
“I think today we need to hold on to his vision, perspective and foresight. He was right in saying ‘grenade se na goli se baat banegi boli se'” Mufti said.
She asserted that the only way forward to get Kashmir out of the bloodshed and to end the deadlock was dialogue and reconciliation between India and Pakistan.
“My father believed that the road to peace in the region passed through Kashmir and the road to peace in Kashmir lies in good relations between India and Pakistan,” she said, adding that only dialogue between the stakeholders and de-escalation of violence was the solution.
Mufti was accompanied by some senior party leaders and some local workers to the grave of her father in Dara-Shikoh garden of Bijbehara.
The PDP workers and leaders prayed for the departed soul at the grave. Meanwhile heavy security arrangements were made by the administration across Bijbehara town in wake of Mufti’s visit.

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