Kashmir has seen worse days in '90s, not everyone pelting stones: Mehbooba Mufti at Durbar meet
Mehbooba Mufti says the unrest in Kashmir was not as serious as being portrayed by the media, and that the state has seen worse days earlier in the '90s.
Resuming office in Srinagar on Monday, Mehbooba Mufti said during the Durbar meet that the unrest in Kashmir was not as serious as being portrayed by the media, and that the state had seen worse days earlier in the 90s.
"Kashmir has seen worse situations, I have seen '90s too," said Mufti at the Durbar meet. "Everyone is not pelting stones in Kashmir, all youths of Jammu and Kashmir don't do that. If all had done sloganeering, so many children wouldn't have passed in recent exams," said Mufti.
Mufti also appealed to the media to report responsibly from the state.
"I request national media to not show discussions on TV that spread hatred against people of Jammu and Kashmir. Would request national media not to add fuel in Kashmir (and) instead work (on) how to restore peace," Mufti said.
The Jammu and Kashmir government began functioning from Srinagar today after returning from the state's winter capital Jammu, as part of the bi-annual Durbar Move. The Governor's office Raj Bhavan, Civil Secretariat that houses offices of Chief Minister, council of ministers and bureaucrats, and some other offices are part of the Durbar Move.
The bi-annual practice was started by Dogra rulers in 1872 to give a "fillip to economy of Jammu and escape harsh winters of Kashmir." As part of the move, the 'Durbar' or seat of governance moves to function from Jammu for six months of winter and then returns to the summer capital Srinagar for next six months.
According to officials in J&K's General Administration Department, 50 offices including the civil secretariat have shifted in full from Jammu, while 52 offices moved in camp.
Amid unrest, protests by students and tensions in Valley since Srinagar Parliamentary seat bypolls, security is major concern for the state government. Intelligence inputs suggest militant groups may increase attacks on security forces after the Durbar Move.
According to observers, a major challenge for the government in the next six months would be to ensure good governance and development in Kashmir which has suffered immensely on these fronts following the 2014 floods.
In 2016, the highest seat of governance functioned only for a "brief time" in Kashmir and remained "paralyzed" in the wake of massive protests and clashes triggered after the killing of Hizbul Mujahideen commander Burhan Wani on July 8.
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