Chidambaram asks Mehbooba to quit 'unholy' alliance with BJP

With violence and unrest continuing in Jammu and Kashmir, Congress leader P Chidambaram todayasked Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti to quit the PDP-BJP coalition government saying the "unholy" alliance was the gravest provocation to the people of the Valley.

In a series of tweets, the former Home and Finance Ministerclaimed the "muscular and militaristic" approach of the central government has driven the state towards the present "catastrophic" situation.

"Mehbooba Mufti should break her party's unholy and opportunistic coalition with the BJP. And go back to the philosophy of her father.

"The PDP-BJP coalition is the gravest provocation to the people of the Kashmir valley. Mehboobaji, quit the coalition immediately and go back to the people," he said.

Chidambaram said he shared the Jammu and Kashmir chief minister's concern that statesmanship required to get the state out of the vicious cycle of killings but it was sad that she does not see that her coalition government is the core of the problem.

"The central government's muscular, militaristic approach to the J&K issue has driven the state towards the present catastrophic situation," he said.

Mehbooba yesterday had urgedthe national leadership toshow the element of compassion and display the statesmanship to get Jammu and Kashmir out of this "vicious cycle of killings".

A tourist from Chennai died yesterday after he was hit on the head by a stone during a protest on the outskirts of Srinagar.

Five Hizbul Mujahideen militants, including an assistant professor of the Kashmir University, were killed in an encounter in the Valley on Sunday.

Five civilians, who were staging protests near the encounter site, were also killed in clashes with security forces.