BJP leader slams Mehbooba Mufti’s Kashmiri Pandits remarks; calls for trust, healing

Jammu and Kashmir BJP leader Jahanzaib Sirwal on Monday criticised PDP chief Mehbooba Mufti for her remarks on Kashmiri Pandits, saying “we must focus on creating conditions that strengthen confidence, promote healing and ensure that every community feels respected and secure” in the Union Territory.

Sirwal said while the future of J&K must be built on reconciliation, mutual respect and healing, the pain and suffering endured by the Kashmiri Pandit community cannot simply be brushed aside by asking people to forget the past.

The BJP leader said true reconciliation is not achieved through selective memory but through honest introspection, acknowledgement of realities and the courage to admit where mistakes were made. “Can society move forward with trust and dignity only by accepting what was right and what was wrong?” he said, emphasising that the tragedy of Kashmiri Pandits is a humanitarian issue, not a political talking point.

Sirwal urged all political leaders to exercise caution and sensitivity while speaking on matters that are deeply connected with the emotions, memories and suffering of an entire community.

“The pain of displacement, loss and separation cannot be politicised. Such issues demand empathy, responsibility and sincerity rather than political messaging.

“We must focus on creating conditions that strengthen confidence, promote healing and ensure that every community feels respected and secure in Jammu and Kashmir,” he said in a statement.

Sirwal said building a better future and acknowledging the lessons of the past are not contradictory objectives; rather, they are essential companions on the path towards lasting peace and reconciliation.