National Conference on Thursday lashed out at the State Government for its “shocking mishandling” of the situation in Kupwara District that resulted in the loss of four innocent lives in a matter of 24 hours.
National Conference Spokesperson Junaid Azim Mattu said Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti’s absence from the State even on the second day of the Handwara tragedy resulted in the further escalation of the situation that consumed another young life in Drugmulla, Kupwara yesterday.
“The Chief Minister should have shown the courage and sensitivity to reschedule her appointments in Delhi and should have flown back to Kashmir the same day and called a meeting of the State Administration and the Unified Command to ensure maximum restraint is exercised to prevent the situation from worsening any further,” he said.
“Rather than attending to her duties at this crucial time, Mehbooba Mufti chose to carry on with her appointments in New Delhi and this exposes her misplaced priorities.”
Mattu expressed shock and disappointment over the fact that Mehbooba Mufti presented the Prime Minister with a bouquet of flowers at a time when four families had lost their loved ones in the Valley.
“Would Mehbooba Mufti have been dethroned from her chair if she had rescheduled her meeting and rushed back to Kashmir? Would she have been terminated from her position by the BJP and the RSS if she had shown a little sensitivity by not presenting bouquets of flowers for photo-ops while four innocent Kashmiris lost their lives in Kupwara?” asked the spokesman.
He accused Mehbooba Mufti of “belittling and denigrating” the institution of the Chief Minister by saying that she was “fortunate to meet the Union Defence Minister”.
It shows, the NC spokesman said, “how their (PDP’s) sole priority is to pander to their alliance partner in New Delhi – even at a cost to their own sense of dignity.”
“What was the pressing need to meet the BJP President Amit Shah and Ram Madhav at a time when people were losing their lives in the Valley? What could the meeting with the BJP President have to do with the situation in Kashmir? Are these her priorities? These were all meetings solely aimed at furthering Mehbooba Mufti’s personal PR with the BJP and part of her continued efforts to protect her own personal political interests,” said Mattu.(Agencies)
