BJP supports CM Mehbooba Mufti's call for bringing militants to mainstream

They deserved to be understood and appreciated as an alternate way to enrail the derailed youth

The BJP on Friday came out in support of Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti's call for bringing youngsters, who have left home to join militancy, to mainstream and providing relief to their families.

"Mehbooba's calling that local militants be brought back into the mainstream and that militants be differentiated from their families, deserve to be understood and appreciated as an alternate way to enrail the derailed youth," S S Bijral, former IGP and BJP state spokesperson said.

"With enough bloodshed in strife-torn Jammu and Kashmir, it is time to rethink the strategy to destroy our own enemy by winning them over," he said.

Talking about the opponents of the BJP-PDP government's decision to grant relief to family of slayed Hizb commander Burhan Wani's brother, who was killed in security forces operation in Trail, Bijral said rules governing grant of relief clearly state that victim's family would be entitled to relief, subject to the condition that the victim was not overtly or covertly involved in anti-national activities and was innocent.

"We, therefore, should effectively implement a policy of carrot and stick to embrace the innocent and punish only the guilty," he added.