'There should be dialogue with Pakistan': Mehbooba Mufti backs RSS leader Dattatreya Hosabale

NEW DELHI: Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) president Mehbooba Mufti on Sunday renewed her appeal for dialogue between India and Pakistan, citing recent remarks by senior Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) leader Dattatreya Hosabale that India should keep the door open for talks with the neighbouring country.

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“...a senior RSS leader recently said there should be talks with Pakistan. There should be dialogue and discussions with Pakistan, and the routes should also be reopened. But the process should begin with Kashmir. Along with engaging Pakistan, the government must also hold talks with the people of Jammu and Kashmir,” Mufti told reporters in Srinagar.





The former Jammu and Kashmir chief minister also urged the Centre to remove military presence from civilian areas and send the army back to the barracks.She also called for the abolition of laws such as the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA) and the Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act (AFSPA).

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“I would suggest that the Centre reopen the routes to Central Asia so that the people of Jammu and Kashmir can enjoy greater freedom… If the government believes the situation has improved, it should now work towards healing the people’s pain… Prime Minister Narendra Modi now has an opportunity to address the issues faced by the people of Jammu and Kashmir,” Mufti added.

Speaking to PTI on May 12, Hosabale described Pakistan as a “pinprick” but stated that India should keep the door open for dialogue, sparking a political debate.

The RSS is the ideological mentor of the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).

“If Pakistan is like a pinprick trying to engineer incidents such as Pulwama, we must respond appropriately depending on the situation, because the security and self-respect of the nation have to be protected. The government of the day should take note of such actions and respond accordingly. But at the same time, we should not shut the doors completely. We should always remain open to dialogue,” he said.

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“That is why diplomatic ties are maintained, trade and commerce continue, and visas are issued. These channels should not be discontinued, because there should always be a window for dialogue,” the RSS second-in-command added.

Last year, the two countries engaged in a four-day military conflict triggered by the Pahalgam terror attack on April 22. The hostilities ended after Islamabad requested a ceasefire with New Delhi on May 10, which was subsequently accepted.

The government has repeatedly maintained that Operation Sindoor, launched as India’s response to the Pahalgam attack, has only been paused.