Modi govt must not be politically penalised for exploring peaceful means: Mehbooba Mufti

Srinagar: Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) chief Mehbooba Mufti on Tuesday said the Narendra Modi-led government should not be "politically penalised" for exploring peaceful means and the opposition must rise above politics to support genuine efforts for peace and stability.

"I appeal all the opposition parties to resist the urge for knee-jerk criticism or political point-scoring. Just as the Pahalgam incident united voices from Kashmir to Kanyakumari, there is need to build a national consensus around a peace process that safeguards national interests," Mufti said in a post on X.

She said leaders like former Prime Ministers Atal Bihari Vajpayee and Manmohan Singh proved that cross-border engagement is possible even in tense times, without compromising security or sovereignty.

"The Modi government should not be politically penalised for exploring peaceful means. This is a time for bipartisan statesmanship, not division. The opposition must rise above politics and support genuine efforts for peace and stability," Mufti said.

Criticising some TV news channels, the PDP president said 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.

In an earlier post on X, Mufti said the media was "distracting" the country.

"While fanatic mobs in our country 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," the PDP chief said.

"High time that India wakes up to the toxic narratives being amplified by television channels that have dangerously distracted the country from its real challenges and priorities," she added.