Bangalore, Jan 23: Dismissing charges that he was "soft" on terrorism, Jammu and Kashmir chief minister Mufti Mohammed Sayeed today called for grabbing the opportunity to offer a "healing touch" through consensus. "I am not irresponsible. If the central government has security concerns, we have more concerns," he said rejecting the allegations that his party was "soft" while dealing with terrorists.
Emphasising that Kashmir was a "national issue and not a partisan issue," Sayeed, interacting with members of the Confederation of Indian Industry here said, a consensus should be built around it.
"If you miss this opportunity, the country will miss an opportunity to give a healing touch," he said.
The chief minister said "the enemy will not allow us to normalise the situation. We have to accelerate the normalisation process".
He asserted that "small steps" initiated by the coalition government in J&K have started changing the scenario. But, "I don't have a magic wand. I cannot perform a miracle," he added.
He, however, said "the enemy" was taking the Jammu and Kashmir government "seriously".
Seeking to allay apprehensions of the industrial class, Sayeed said Article 370 of the constitution, which conferred special status on his state, would not come in the way of investments in the state.
"Investment in Kashmir is an investment in peace," he said. Bureau Report