Jammu & Kashmir Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti on Wednesday conceded the use of excessive force but sounded optimistic on regaining the faith of common people through sustained efforts. She sought the cooperation from the police and civil administration to mitigate the people’s problems and heal their wounds.
“During the past five months excessive force was used and I don’t deny that. Normalcy has started prevailing and I hope police will cooperate and change its behavior while dealing with people,” Mufti said during her address at a passing out parade of police commandos at a training center in lethpora of south Kashmir’s Pulwama district. The area was one of the worst hit during the recent unrest in Kashmir.
“When we have to deal with such situation, we have to use force sometimes and I have no hesitation in saying this. We should all speak truth. We had to use force because we had to protect the lives and properties of all the people of Jammu and Kashmir," she said adding that if force was not used, losses would have been more.
“If we had not done so, there could have been more killings, more losses. But now, our endeavour should be to see towards those people who were confined to their homes because of the situation, strikes and curfew and what they have gone through in these six months,” she said.
Mufti said she visualizes a Jammu and Kashmir where some strict laws would rarely be used and there would be an environment of reconciliation, peace and harmony all around. She hoped the officers and jawans of the police force would play their role in ensuring this all.