You cannot resolve any issue by the gun, J&K Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti said in Assembly on Saturday. Express Photo by Shuaib Masoodi
Jammu and Kashmir chief minister Mehbooba Mufti on Saturday urged political parties to put their “heads together’’ to find “a common cause and move forward” while underlining that dialogue was the only way out. “It is true that Jammu and Kashmir is an issue and it has no solution other than dialogue,” she told the state Assembly on the first day of a special session to discuss GST. “You cannot resolve any issue by gun or by army.’’
Earlier, opposition National Conference (NC) and Congress legislators protested outside and inside the House against civilian killings. They wore black bands and held placards reading “stop state terrorism” and “stop innocent killings’’.
The first day of the session was specially for obituary references but NC leader Mohammad Shafi took on the government over the killings and the government’s failure to initiate dialogue.
“Indeed, the state has created an atmosphere of state terrorism,” Shafi said.
“I am surprised that on one side India’s Home minister says that we are soon going to find a permanent solution for Kashmir and on the other side all the doors for dialogue have been slammed shut. Do you want to resolve this issue by might of force?” he added.
He asked if the government can talk to Naga rebels why not separatists in Kashmir.
“Before blaming somebody, you (government) must first see what you are doing,” he said. “The situation in critical and both New Delhi and the state government must understand it. If you think, you can resolve it by force, it would be a fantasy, unpractical.’’
The special session was later adjourned indefinitely as the government and opposition failed to reach a consensus
over GST.
