Kashmir unrest: Mehbooba echoes govt's message

JAMMU: Jammu & Kashmir chief minister Mehbooba Mufti blamed a handful of people “with vested interests” for inciting the youth to violence in the valley.In her first public appearance in the summer capital since violence broke out on July 8 after the killing of Hizbul terrorist Burhan Wani, Mehbooba said, “A section of people who themselves are not facing bullets and canes are instigating children and teenagers to indulge in violence.”“Kashmiris want to open their shops. They want to send their children to school,” she said. Contending that the unrest in Kashmir was "pre-planned", chief minister Mehbooba Mufti on Monday said a "handful of people" were deliberately keeping the Valley on the boil while 95 per cent people were peace-loving and should not be punished for the fault of 5 per cent.“I appeal to the Centre to take steps to bring relief to 95% of the people in the valley as they are in the midst of a grave problem,” she said.Talking about the futility of violence, Mehbooba said it will never help achieve anything. Mehbooba also sent out a message to those raising "pro-azadi" slogans, asking them to see the condition of Muslims in Islamic countries like Pakistan, Syria, Turkey and Afghanistan even though these nations have "freedom". She said once gun makes inroads in a society, then the meaning of 'azadi' is lost.“Guns went into Afghanistan, Syria and Russia. Was anything achieved there by using guns? Violence only brings destruction.”She expressed pain that children are being used as a shield by "vested interests" while attacking camps and posts of security forces to incite them, as a result of which innocent kids become a casualty.Contending that she had planned so many developmental programmes to be pushed after Eid, she said the unrest was "pre-planned" as "vested interests" were keen to latch on to something to trigger unrest."I don't understand what happened... people were waiting for a chance. Whenever the situation becomes little better in J&K, tourism starts, work begins, something or the other happens which creates problems in normal functioning," Mehbooba said. "After the Assembly (session) was over, we had decided to work more. But after (her) Assembly (election) result and Eid, all this began," she said.Talking about her coalition with BJP, which has been criticised by the National Conference, the CM said, “There are forces who can’t digest the development programmes initiated under the PDP-BJP government. They are not able to see peace returning to the state.”