Govt. assessing Mehbooba Mufti's 'take responsibility statement', says Jitendra Singh

Minister of State in the Prime Minister's Office (PMO), Jitendra Singh on Friday said that the Defence Ministry and other ministries are assessing the import of Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) president Mehbooba Mufti's statement that Prime Minister Modi and not Pakistan needed to take responsibility for developments in Jammu and Kashmir.

Array

"Defence Ministry and other ministries have taken cognizance of it and are probing the matter. I do not think it is wise to speak out of turn," Jitendra Singh told ANI here.

"I want to tell Prime Minister Modi that if youths of 22 years, who have completed MA/ BA are still picking up arms, it is your responsibility and not Pakistan's," said Mehbooba Mufti at a rally in Jammu.

Array

"Getting two generals from India and two generals from Pakistan to endlessly debate on television won't help to resolve the problems of Kashmir," she added.

Array

She also criticised the government for failing to end the deadlock on the one-rank-one-pension (OROP) scheme, saying 'our fellow army personnel are on a strike for last two months and we say we don't have money.'

Array

"The army has enough resources to buy new weapons, but we don't address the miserable condition of those ex-servicemen," she added.

Array

On Thursday, Mehbooba Mufti toured various villages in R S Pura, along the international border, and inquired of locals of the damages caused due to recent ceasefire violations from across the border.

Array

He (Prime Minister Narendra Modi) should follow the policy of Atal Behari Vajpayee and should tell them that they want peace and friendship with Pakistan," she said then.

Array

Peace is imperative towards giving employment to the people of the state, she added.