KL NEWS NETWORK
SRINAGAR
National Conference on Wednesday lashed out at Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti for her “insensitive, obtuse” remarks over the course of the last few days and said the Chief Minister’s shocking “insensitivity had emboldened” the brutal response to the current unrest in the Valley.
Describing the killing of an ATM guard, Riyaz Ahmed in Chattabal as yet another shocking proof of brutality and barbarism, NC Spokesperson Junaid Mattu said, “Mehbooba Mufti was to be singularly blamed for clearly and publicly advocating her generalized disdain for the youth of the State who, besides espousing an unaddressed and un-engaged political sentiment, are equally unanimous in their opposition to her politics and everything she has come to stand for.”
“Mehbooba Mufti’s insensitive and inarticulate remarks have added to the anger on our streets. She has left no stone unturned to vilify and provoke the agitating youth and this has compounded the problem. Just days after PDP openly questioned the character, motives and pain of the agitating youth, three protesters have been killed in the Valley. In the case of the Chattabal youth’s killing, it is evident from the autopsy that it was a targeted killing from point-blank range. This is a direct result of Mehbooba’s statements,” the NC Spokesperson said in a statement this afternoon.
The NC Spokesperson also questioned the Chief Minister’s “sense of priorities and perspective in trying to portray normalcy” in the State through the Information Department rather than trying to achieve actual normalcy through empathy and humility.
“From meetings with female staff in the Civil Secretariat, to photo-opportunities in ‘civil society’ meetings with her own workers – Mehbooba Mufti has lost the plot at perhaps the most crucial juncture in the State’s tumultuous journey from turmoil to relative peace and engagement,” the NC Spokesperson added.
“One is also shocked at her flip-flops and glaring contradictions. She has issued a dozen contradictory statements in the last two weeks and continues to hide behind press releases and photo ops of the Information Department. This isn’t an alternative for leadership. Her investment in self-marketing and melodrama cannot compensate for her incomprehensible and extraordinary lack of mettle, sensitivity and integrity,” the NC Spokesperson further added.
The NC Spokesperson also expressed disappointment and anguish at the Union Government’s evident lack of concern over the killings of young civilians in the Valley and termed this behaviour as an unprecedented and highly dangerous approach that could have very adverse far-reaching implications on peace and stability in the region.
Expressing grief and sorrow over the loss of lives, the NC Spokesperson extended his “heartfelt condolences” to the families of the slain youth on behalf of the party and prayed for peace to the departed souls.
