Jammu and Kashmir governor Satya Pal Malik on Wednesday downplayed former chief minister Mehbooba Mufti's comments against an Indian Army official.

According to media reports, Mehbooba had lashed out at Indian Army officer Major Rohit Shukla earlier in the day, alleging that Major Shukla 'tortured' a Jammu and Kashmir youth while probing a matter.

"It is election time and her party is falling apart. She came into power after making such statements. We should not take her seriously. We will not let such statements affect the moral of our security forces," Malik told reporters here.

According to media reports, Mehbooba, after visiting the SMHS hospital in Pulwama where the youth is being treated, said that the man was 'thrashed' and 'asked to pose with a gun on his shoulder' by Shukla. "We have heard that Major Shukla is a brave soldier. What kind of a soldier is he? A soldier who is torturing his own kids, the children of Jammu and Kashmir?"

Major Shukla was reportedly questioning the youth in connection with the brutal killing of Rifleman Aurangzeb.

The Indian Indian Army jawan was killed in June 2018 when he was on his way home for Eid.

The former Jammu and Kashmir chief minister had also urged Malik and General Officer Commanding of army's 15 Corps to take cognizance of the incident and question major Shukla.

Major Shukla is a Shaurya Chakra awardee. He is credited for the killing of Samir Tiger on April 30, 2018, an A++ category terrorist of Hizbul Mujahideen.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)