Militants our brothers, martyres : PDP lawmaker's comment sparks controversy
Jammu, Jan 11 (IBNS) : A lawmaker of Jammu and Kashmir's ruling PDP has triggered a controversy as he described terrorists as "our brothers and martyrs" whose death should not be celebrated, NDTV reports.
Aijaz Ahmad Mir repeated his remark, made on Wednesday, also on Thursday.
"The militants belong to Jammu and Kashmir, they are our children. We should not celebrate their killing," said Mir, who represents the Watchi constituency in Kashmir's Shopian.
When reporters pressed him on whether he believed that the terrorists were "brothers and martyrs", as he had said in the House, Mir replied, "Of course".
He, however, added that he "also sympathized with the security forces and parents of soldiers who were killed."
On Wednesterday, he had said in the assembly that the Government should hold talks with all parties concerned, including separatists, to resolve the Kashmir issue.
The lawmaker himself an attempt on his life three months ago, when militants had thrown a grenade at his home.
His comments were denounced by the BJP, the partner of the PDP in the ruling alliance in Kashmir.
"It is ridiculous, I condemn this statement. It is glorifying terrorism, you are playing with fire...Go and ask families of those who lost people to terror in the past 30 years. This is rubbing salt into the wounds of relatives of those killed in Pakistan-sponsored terror," BJP leader and lawmaker Ravinder Raina said.
Criticising the PDP, opposition National Conference has said that what Mir has said shows that PDP is a party of contradictions.
"There is a contradiction in the PDP, on one side they kill militants and on the other hand such a statement coming from the PDP MLA, this contradicts CM Mehbooba Mufti's assembly statement," senior national conference leader Akbar Lone said.
Image: youtube
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