Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti on Saturday threw her weight behind Prime Minister Narendra Modi, saying only he can take the Kashmir Valley “out of the quagmire of violence and unrest”.
Mehbooba’s statement comes amid speculation that the Centre may impose governor’s rule in Jammu and Kashmir to contain the growing violence and unrest.
“Humein daldal se koi agar bahar nikal sakta hai toh, woh PM Modi hain. Woh jo faisla karenge, mulk support karega (If anybody can take us out of the quagmire of violence and unrest, it is Prime Minister Modi. Whatever decision he takes, the nation will support him),” Mehbooba said after inaugurating a flyover in Jammu city.
“A former prime minister had desired to go to Pakistan for over 10 years. He wanted to see his home there. He also could have tried to end the confrontation between the two countries, and bring Jammu and Kashmir out of this unfortunate situation, but he had no courage to do that,” the 57-year-old chief minister said in a veiled reference to Manmohan Singh.
She hailed Modi for his visit to Lahore on December 25, 2015. “Modiji went to Lahore and met his Pakistani counterpart (Nawaz Sharif). This is not a sign of weakness, but an indication of strength and power,” Mehbooba, whose PDP is running a coalition government with the BJP, said.
There has been a spate of militant attacks and clashes between civilians and security forces, resulting in several casualties. Last month, Mehbooba met Modi at his residence in New Delhi and briefed him about the security situation in the Valley.
Published 06 May 2017, 20:04 IST