Days after Mehbooba Mufti called for a unilateral cease fire, defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Sunday said “Indian Army has to firmly handle any terrorism which threatens the peace and harmony of Jammu and Kashmir as a state and of the rest of country,” India Today reported.

The defence minister said the army’s position is that it has to be firm on “terrorism”.

While terming Kashmir as an integral part of India, Nirmala said, “The army will dealt strictly against the terrorism and will also take firm actions to eliminate the terrorists”.

Earlier Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti had called for a ceasefire in the state to ease tension during the fasting period of Ramazan and the Amarnath Yatra, after all party meet convened to discuss the worsening security situation in Jammu and Kashmir amid civilian deaths in encounters.

BJP, which is also in alliance with PDP in Jammu and Kashmir, too, had rejected her proposal.