Former J&K CM Mehbooba Mufti Reacts to Delhi Red Fort Blast, Argues in Favour of a ‘Soft’ Approach Towards Terrorism

Former J&K Chief Minister ruffled a few feathers today as she reacted to the Delhi Red Fort blast. At a public meeting in Kashmir, the PDP chief expressed her condolences and demanded the strictest punishment for the culprits. However, she also mentioned that the terror accused should not be mistreated until and unless they are found to be guilty, as it hurts their family.

Her comment comes at a time when the police and every security agency in the country are conducting a thorough and fierce terror crackdown across the country, with over 200 searches in Jammu and Kashmir alone in the two days after the blast. With public rage simmering after the horrific attack near the Delhi Red Fort on Monday night, Mufti’s comment has not been well-received.

However, this is not the first time that Mehbooba Mufti’s ‘soft’ approach towards terrorists has courted controversy. She was vocal in her criticism of the counter-terrorism activities after the Pahalgam attack and has time and again repeatedly urged the Central government to "abandon its security-centric approach" and engage in meaningful dialogue, arguing that the issue is political and requires statesmanship, not just militarization.

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Nationwide crackdown on terror

On the other hand, the blast near Delhi’s Red Fort has triggered a sharp response from the security and investigation agencies across the country. The Delhi Police has constituted a 500-member team with representatives from NIA, NSG, IB, and local police to probe the matter and has heightened searches in different parts of the country.