Mehbooba Mufti has drawn flak after 16 people, including eight militants, seven residents and a tourist were killed in the Valley in the past four days.
New Delhi: Jammu and Kashmir chief minister Mehbooba Mufti has called an all-party meeting Wednesday to discuss the security situation in the Valley.
Mehbooba has come under severe criticism after 16 people, including eight militants, seven residents and a tourist were killed in separate incidents of violence in the past four days.
“Mehbooba-ji has convened the all-party meet to discuss the spurt in violence. She has expressed the need for dialogue with all sections,” a member of the CM’s team told ThePrint.
“Everyone needs to unite to resolve the situation. It’s the only way forward,” the CM’s aide added.
The CM apologised to the family of the 22-year-old tourist from Chennai who was killed when a vehicle carrying him and other family members was attacked by a group of stone-pelters at Narbal on the Srinagar-Gulmarg highway Monday.
The incident evoked strong reactions from across the country and is seen as a huge setback to the government’s efforts to bring normalcy to the Valley.
Expressing her condolences and concern, Mufti said that the state has been pushed deeper in a “vortex of gloom” and there is a need for a meaningful dialogue to improve the situation.
“Without a sustained, meaningful dialogue and outreach, J&K will get pushed deeper into this vortex of gloom. My deepest condolences to the deceased’s family & prayers go out to the girl who was injured in the same incident,” she tweeted.
While the opposition National Conference (NC) has confirmed that it received the invitation for Wednesday’s meeting, it is yet to take a call on it.
“We are going to take a decision by evening. The situation is worrisome,” general secretary of NC, Ali Mohammad Sagar told ThePrint.
“We also met the governor N.N. Vohra Monday and expressed our concern about the deteriorating situation in the Valley,” he added.
Former chief minister and NC leader Omar Abdullah has also criticised Mehbooba Mufti for “failing” to control the situation.
Sagar said that an NC-led delegation submitted a memorandum to the governor stressing that there was an urgency to initiate a dialogue, involving all stakeholders to restore normalcy.
Three militants were killed in Srinagar’s Chattabal area, while a teenager was crushed to death by a police vehicle Saturday.
Five militants and an equal number of civilians were killed during an encounter in south Kashmir’s Badigam area of Shopian Sunday.