Srinagar, July 18: Taking a strong exception to the remarks of union home secretary G K Pillai on the role of her party, the PDP president Mehbooba Mufti, on Sunday said the official had clearly violated the code of conduct for civil servants. “Pillai has clearly crossed the line that his conduct rules prescribe” she said.
while commenting on the home secretary’s recent remarks in a New Delhi newspaper about the largest political party of the state.
“It seems Pillai has convinced himself that neither the constitution nor the conduct rules apply to JK like the other states. Such officials unfortunately convey a colonial mindset to the people of the state which is unacceptable to PDP,” Mehbooba said in a statement.
She said the home secretary had not covered himself with glory through his frequent comments on the current crisis facing the state. He had even disputed the age of a victim of government firing in order to provide a fig leaf to excessive use of force as if killing a 17-year old was permitted and 9- year old was not, she recalled and said such insensitive remarks had only added fuel to fire.
The PDP president said even as she did not want to join issues with an official of the government the fact that the home secretary has been running the state through not so remote a control makes his observations particularly objectionable. “He might be enjoying his assignment as regent to the tottering state administration but, Pillai has tried to subvert the very system of democracy that had been painstakingly revived to some extent by the people of the state” Mehbooba said and added he has done no great service either to his image or reviving confidence between the state and rest of the country.
It may be recalled that in reply to a question in the feature “Idea Exchange” of a New Delhi-based newspaper, seeking to know his (Union Home Secretary’s) view on the PDP boycotting the all-party meeting on J&K, Pillai had said, “I think the PDP is quite a frustrated party. They have yet to come to grips with the fact that they have lost political power in a democracy and are now in the Opposition. There has to be constructive opposition—it’s not only about being in power. That frustration is what is being demonstrated.”

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