Srinagar, July 28 : PDP President Mehbooba Mufti on Monday urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi to abandon the military-heavy policy in Jammu and Kashmir and instead embrace reconciliation, asserting that dialogue not force was the only way to resolve the lingering issues in the UT.
Addressing party workers on the 26th Foundation Day of the People’s Democratic Party in Srinagar, Mehbooba Mufti said the time had come for the Union Government to stop treating J&K as a conflict zone.
“If anyone has the power to resolve Jammu and Kashmir’s issue, it is PM Modi. He has the mandate of over 120 crore people. If he wants India to truly progress and compete with China, he must replace this war-like system with sincere efforts toward reconciliation,” as per KNS she said.
The PDP chief said the vision of her father, late Mufti Mohammad Sayeed, was always focused on peace through dialogue, both when the party was in power and while in opposition. “We never compromised on our belief that only political engagement can bring lasting peace,” she added.
Mehbooba launched a strong critique of the Centre’s current policy in Kashmir, saying excessive reliance on security deployments was not the answer.“They keep sending more CRPF companies to Kashmir. But how much security will you deploy? Will that solve anything? You can’t win hearts with guns and bunkers,” she said, warning that this approach was alienating the people instead of building trust.
She raised concerns about India’s priorities, particularly its growing military spending amid deep social inequalities. “We are spending billions on weapons while schools in many parts of the country don’t even have clean drinking water or toilets,” Mehbooba said, questioning the government’s focus.
Taking a jibe at India’s foreign policy direction, she said, “What is India’s foreign policy without addressing Jammu and Kashmir? What have we achieved from decades of hostility? Pakistan invested in weapons, and India turned Kashmir into a heavily militarized zone. Meanwhile, China surged ahead economically. Even our own External Affairs Minister has acknowledged this reality,” she added.
Mufti said that Kashmiris want to be embraced, not ruled with fear. “Unless the Government of India opens its heart to the people of Jammu and Kashmir, no amount of security or surveillance will work,” she said.(KNS)
