‘Don’t politically penalise Modi govt for exploring peace’: PDP chief Mehbooba Mufti urges opposition to support ceasefire with Pakistan

NEW DELHI: Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) chief Mehbooba Mufti on Tuesday appealed to the opposition parties to rise above political divisions and support the Narendra Modi-led government’s efforts to explore peaceful means of engagement, particularly in the wake of a recent ceasefire initiative.In a detailed post on X, the former Jammu and Kashmir chief minister said, “The Modi government should not be politically penalised for exploring peaceful means. This is a time for bipartisan statesmanship, not division. The opposition must rise above politics and support genuine efforts for peace and stability.”Calling for a national consensus, Mufti added, “I appeal all the opposition parties to resist the urge for knee-jerk criticism or political point-scoring. Just as the Pahalgam incident united voices from Kashmir to Kanyakumari, there is need to build a national consensus around a peace process that safeguards national interests.”She pointed to examples from the past, noting that, “Leaders like former Prime Ministers Atal Bihari Vajpayee and Manmohan Singh proved that cross-border engagement is possible even in tense times, without compromising security or sovereignty.”In a strong critique of television news channels, Mufti said, “Those who criticise the ceasefire from the comfort of air-conditioned studios and drawing rooms should spend time with their families on the borders to truly understand the daily reality of death and destruction.”In an earlier post on the platform, Mufti also accused the media of distracting the public from real issues, saying, “While fanatic mobs in our country are vandalising shops, bulldozing mosques and digging up graves to punish the long dead Mughal emperor Aurangzeb, across the border his namesake Air Vice Marshal Aurangzeb Ahmed is training his forces for modern air warfare.”She concluded with a warning about media-fuelled narratives, “High time that India wakes up to the toxic narratives being amplified by television channels that have dangerously distracted the country from its real challenges and priorities.”