MLA from Wachi constituency in Shopian district of South Kashmir, 28-year-old Mir said, "The militants are our own children, their killing doesn't gives us happiness."

Mir triggered a new controversy for his own government and contradicted the stand of his government, which is hailing the killing of over 200 militants in the year 2017, in Kashmir under Operation All Out.

The PDP MLA on Thursday said that special representative on Kashmir (interlocutor) appointed by the Union Government of India, Dineshwar Sharma, should hold talks with Hurriyat Conference and militants, to resolve the Kashmir issue.

"I feel that interlocutor Dineshwar Sharma should hold talks with Hurriyat and also the terrorists," Mir said.

"Some people are glorifying the killing of militants, but I feel that militants are also residents of Kashmir and all the Kashmiri residents are my brothers and yes militants are also my brothers," added Mir.

Mir, whose house was also attacked by militants said that there is ideological difference between them and militants.

"We are having pain for the Security Force personnel who attain martyrdom, as they are also sons of their parents," he added.

He questioned that for how long it will continue, "We beat the drums on the elimination of 200 militants, but this process will continue and has to stop somewhere."

"We will get nothing out of these killings of either civilians or militants," he said and added that all those Kashmiris, who belonged to Kashmir including militants are brothers and termed them as martyrs.

He however added that he is not doing or stating this for the sake of vote bank politics, as "we should not politicise this issue. Neither the ruling parties nor the opposition."

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Minister in the PDP-BJP coalition, Sunil Sharma said that it is condemnable statement and militants cannot be treated or termed as martyrs.

BJP MLA Ravinder Raina said that all militants should be treated as militants only, hardly matters from where they belong, because those holding war against own country are anti-nationals and militants.

Congress MLA Nawang Rigzin Jora targeted BJP for such statement and said that PDP is in alliance with BJP and BJP has to answer what its partner is saying.

Independent MLA Engineer Rashid also criticized the statement of MLA Wachi saying that government is saying something else and its MLAs are stating something else.