Srinagar, Sep 13: Terming National Conference President and Union Minister, Dr Farooq Abdullah, as “killer” of Kashmiris, former Deputy Chief Minister and senior Peoples Democratic Party leader, Muzaffar Hussain Beig Tuesday alleged that Dr Farooq during his tenure had ordered the police to kill militants instead of sending them to jails.
 “Dr Farooq is responsible for the killing of those people who are buried in unmarked graves. It was in his tenure that STF was created and they were being given awards and promotions for killing Kashmiris,” Beig told KNS.
 “I want to ask Dr Abdullah two questions. First is that wasn’t it he who used to urge New Delhi to drop a nuclear bomb on Pakistan so that no issue will remain and during a speech he asked the then DGP to kill militants as there was no space in jails for them?”
 Without naming Dr Abdullah, the PDP leader said, “Those who say that I’m responsible for the killing of people in early 1990’s are ignorant and mad as I had resigned as Attorney General in 1987 itself. The massacre of the people in early 1990 was carried by (Governor) Jagmohan and Dr Abdullah.”
 Absolving PDP patron and then Union Home Minister, Mufti Muhammad Sayeed from the accusation of killings in 1990, Beig said, “Though Mufti sahib remained Home Minister for more than a year, he wasn’t given any authority on affairs of Jammu and Kashmir. Infact Government of India had given charge of Kashmir affairs to (George)Fernandes.”
 “It is the reason that when Mufti sahib’s daughter was kidnapped by the militants (in December 1989), George Fernandes came to Kashmir to take a decision alongwith Dr Abdullah to fulfill the demands of the militants and not the then Union Home Minister,” he clarified.
 Beig said that friendship of Dr Abdullah and Fernandes was old. “When late Ghulam Muhammad Shah toppled NC government (in 1984) Fernandes supported Dr Abdullah and nurtured support of late Abdul Gani Lone so that people will come on roads to protest against Shah’s government,” he alleged.
 Terming Jagmohan’s friendship with Dr Abdullah old, the PDP leader said, “When Dr Abdullah took oath as Chief Minister in 1987 in Jammu during night, he praised Jagmohan like anything. He (Farooq) said that Jagmohan is so popular in Kashmir that if he will contest election against him in Kashmir, he (Jagmohan) will be the winner,” he added.
 The former Deputy Chief Minister said that Mufti is a seasoned politician and never reacts if anybody levels allegations against him. “He (Mufti) never reacts when some one levels false allegations against him. But everybody can’t remain silent like him,” he said.
 Supporting Chief Minister Omar Abdullah’s statement of constituting Truth and Reconciliation Commission, he said, “I agree with it, but the Commission should be headed by former Chief Justices of Supreme Court Justice Venkat Chalia or Justice Verma or former Lokayut of Karnataka Justice Santosh Hekdey as they are men of integrity and won’t accept any pulls and pressures.”
 However, Beig said that Omar would have to answer for the deaths of 120 youth killed during last year’s summer unrest in the Truth and Reconciliation Commission.

Lastupdate on : Tue, 13 Sep 2011 21:30:00 Makkah time
Lastupdate on : Tue, 13 Sep 2011 18:30:00 GMT
Lastupdate on : Wed, 14 Sep 2011 00:00:00 IST