'BJP govt failed to handle J&K situation, arming locals to further its agenda': PDP chief Mehbooba Mufti

The move to provide arms and ammunition to Village Defence Committees in wake of the Rajouri attack has exposed the BJP's claims that the situation has become normal in Jammu and Kashmir after the abrogation of Article 370, Mufti said.

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J&K: The BJP government has failed to control the situation in Jammu and Kashmir and is now arming locals to further its agenda of creating a wedge between communities, People's Democratic Party chief Mehbooba Mufti said on Thursday. "Arming people with weapons will only serve the BJP's agenda of creating an atmosphere of fear, suspicion and hatred. It will pit one community against the other," Mehbooba said. She was speaking to reporters in Anantnag district after paying obeisance at the grave of her father, former Jammu and Kashmir chief minister and People's Democratic Party (PDP) founder Mufti Mohammad Sayeed.

The move to provide arms and ammunition to Village Defence Committees in wake of the Rajouri attack has exposed the BJP's claims that the situation has become normal in Jammu and Kashmir after the abrogation of Article 370, she said.

Mehbooba, also a former chief minister of Jammu and Kashmir, added, "If that were the case, why bring more security personnel into Jammu and Kashmir? Why arm the local people with weapons? "This only shows that BJP has failed in controlling the situation. Now they want to harass the people and increase the bloodshed by these measures."

The PDP leader added that the problems in Jammu and Kashmir needed a political solution and could not be resolved militarily.

"No power on earth can win a war against its own people. Jammu and Kashmir is already a military cantonment, there is no dearth of Army here. The Army has discharged its duties well over the past 30 years to the extent that the democratic system was restored and elections to the Parliament, Assembly and panchayats were held. But now, it is not the job of the Army.

"All the security experts and many former army officers maintain that Jammu and Kashmir is a political issue for which there is no military solution," she said.

Highlighting the need for dialogue, Mehbooba said the government was engaged in talks and reconciliation with China even after the neighbouring country committed acts of aggression in Ladakh.

"There cannot be a military solution... China martyred 20 of our soldiers and has occupied 2,000 square kilometres of our land (in Ladakh) but there is dialogue and reconciliation going on there," she added.