Mehbooba should apologise to people of valley: NC

National Conference (NC) today said Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti should apologise to the people of the Valley for "demonizing and defaming them through her cats and pigeons analogy" while speaking on the Kashmiri Pandit rehabilitation issue in the Legislative Assembly.
"Mehbooba has defamed and demonized Kashmiris by inferring that Kashmiris are allegedly some sort of killers and hunters and Kashmiri Pandits are unsafe in their company and hence need to be isolated from them.
"It is tragic that a Chief Minister could stoop to this level in her maiden address in the Assembly," NC Spokesperson Junaid Mattu said in a statement here.

Mattu said Mehbooba should know that "her hunted versus hunter analogy has exposed her mindset and also her prejudiced outlook on this very sensitive issue."
"She has portrayed Kashmiris as hunters and killers from whom apparently Kashmiri Pandits need to be protected.
"She should apologise to the people for her remarks and also bear in mind that she is no longer an election campaigner who can afford to distort the truth and lie at will.

"She is the Chief Minister of this State and we expect a basic amount of wisdom and restraint from her.
"Mehbooba should know that both Kashmiri Muslims as well as Kashmiri Pandits have been the victims of violence and she cannot portray an entire community as culprits and demons.

"This is extremely regrettable and tragic on her part," the spokesperson said.
He said the Chief Minister's speech in the Legislative Assembly was "bizarre, wayward and contained misplaced analogies and distortions."
The NC Spokesperson said that Mehbooba's "bizarre justification" that she tied up with BJP to prevent another 1987-like situation is "ridiculous and ironic.