Opposition National Conference today hit out at Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti for her remarks that the five-month unrest in Kashmir was "well-planned", claiming she was shying away from taking responsibility in an attempt to distort the ground reality in the Valley.
"Mehbooba's stand that the 2016 agitation was pre-planned is not only an obfuscation of responsibility but also an attempt to distort the ground reality in Kashmir.
"The CM's fluctuating stands since July not only worsened the situation but also added salt to the wounds of grieving families with whom she is now trying to express empathy," NC state spokesperson Junaid Azim Mattu said.
Speaking in the state Assembly yesterday, the chief minister had said the unrest took place under a "well-planned conspiracy".
Mattu asked if the unrest was "pre-planned by Pakistan and Hurriyat", why did Mehbooba's father late Mufti Mohammad Sayeed thank Pakistan and Hurriyat as soon as he took over as the chief minister.
"If Hurriyat is an instigator of violence and mayhem in Kashmir, why did PDP accept them as stakeholders and advocate political engagement with them in its now deceased Agenda of the Alliance?
"PDP appeased the Hurriyat when it was politically expedient and is now blaming them for its own failures as a matter of convenience and diversion of responsibility. This political duplicity and dishonesty has compounded the sense of hostility and instability in Kashmir," he said.
Mattu asked the Chief Minister to introspect and admit that she "mishandled" the situation.
"The honourable thing to do for the chief minister is to admit her mistakes, accept responsibility and convince people that her politics and that of her party have changed and do not hinge on hypocrisy and opportunism anymore.
"When nearly a hundred young boys and girls lose their lives, she should shun arrogance and her sense of self- entitlement and submit to self-scrutiny and penance," he said.
The NC spokesperson alleged it was the chief minister who "ridiculed young dead boys and girls by her toffees and milk sarcasm--implying all those who had lost their lives in the recent unrest had it coming and were killed in justified and proportionate self-defence".
"She continues to tow this line despite her stray statements admitting that excessive force was used during the unrest. She delivers a speech asking the police force to exercise restraint and clearly implicates them for using excessive force only to change her stand and go back to blaming the dead for getting killed," he claimed.
Mattu alleged Mehbooba had "impetuously blamed" the state government for every single loss of life during the 2010 unrest and sought the resignation of the then Chief Minister Omar Abdullah at every possible opportunity.
"You cannot hold the state government and chief minister responsible for lives lost in unrest while you are in the opposition and completely absolve yourself of a similar standard of accountability when you are the CM.
"Mehbooba's change of heart in castigating Pakistan and Hurriyat will certainly help her in cementing her political ties with BJP and the central government but this posturing contradicts her political history and stand in the past," the spokesperson said.
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