A day after Jammu and Kashmir’s Education Minister Altaf Bukhari criticised Army Chief General Bipin Rawat for his remarks that social media and schools in the state were playing a role in radicalising the youth, the BJP on Sunday advised the minister to “smell the coffee rather than locking horns with the Chief of Army Staff”. State BJP spokesperson Brigadier (retired) Anil Gupta said General Rawat’s statement should be viewed positively rather than making it a political issue since it is based on his experience of service in the Valley and his interactions with students. “Even the Chief Minister, while winding up the discussion on the motion of thanks to the Governor’s address in both Houses of the legislature, had voiced her concern over radicalisation and indoctrination of youth in the state,’’ he said. Gupta added that Bukhari should “smell the coffee rather than locking horns with the Chief of Army Staff”. The BJP is the main partner in the coalition government headed by Mehbooba Mufti. Bukhari is from the PDP. Bukhari had on Saturday said the Army chief is not an educationist. He had said education is a state subject and the government knows how to run schools. “Everyone has his own domain and those who have no link to education are talking about it,” he had said, adding, “it is not a fair comment and we do not accept it”.
