Talks with whom, Mehbooba?

Hours after Army chief General Bipin Rawat made India’s stand on the Kashmir issue clear, Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti, while speaking in the State Assembly, said that the forces cannot solve the issue and that ‘talks are the only way forward’.

The Centre and the State must work together to solve the problem, she added.

Her comments came hours after Army chief Gen. Bipin Rawat made India’s stand clear on the Kashmir issue. The Army chief said that some parts of South Kashmir are in trouble and necessary counter action is being taken.

"Some parts of South Kashmir are in trouble, but necessary actions are being taken to ensure the situation there is soon brought under control," he had said.

"We care about human life and make sure human rights are not violated. We are trained to handle such situations," he added.

The timing of Ms. Mufti’s statement remains suspect. Was it an attempt to demoralise the forces?

BJP snapping ties with PDP?

There appears to be growing tension within the BJP to snap ties with the PDP in Jammu and Kashmir. Sources told Republic TV's Aishwarya Kapoor that a major faction in the BJP is in favour of snapping ties with the State party.

They added that four warnings were given to Ms. Mufti in the last few months.