Srinagar, July 28: Reacting to former Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti’s recent remarks on the use of force in Kashmir, senior politician Bilal Gani Lone on MondayReacting to former Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti’s recent remarks on the use of force in Kashmir, senior politician Bilal Gani Lone on Monday described the controversy surrounding her statement as an unnecessary distraction, alleging it was being used to divert attention from issues of accountability, governance and growing public concerns. described the controversy surrounding her statement as an unnecessary distraction, alleging it was being used to divert attention from issues of accountability, governance and growing public concerns.
“It was merely a slip of the tongue—an innocent human error that anyone can make. It certainly doesn’t warrant making a mountain out of a molehill,” Lone said.
He said it had become a worrying trend in Kashmir’s political landscape for leaders to attack and undermine one another at a time when the region was passing through a critical phase.
“It is deeply unfortunate that our political discourse has descended into mudslinging, rabble-rousing and cheap rhetoric. This is certainly not the way to find meaningful solutions to the pressing challenges we face,” he said.
Lone said everyone has a past and has made mistakes, whether big or small, but those should not become grounds for perpetual vilification.
“We cannot keep dwelling on each other’s past without first reflecting on our own. We are all sailing in the same boat,” he said.
Referring to the aftermath of the Anantnag terror attack, Lone said that instead of pressing the Union government to review the reported arrest and detention of hundreds of youths, the elected government and its BJP allies in Jammu and Kashmir had chosen to turn a “non-issue” into the centrepiece of political debate.
He also welcomed Mufti’s clarification, saying it was encouraging that she had acknowledged her mistake and that the matter should now be laid to rest. (KNS)
