Our uncompromising stand ended PDP-BJP alliance: Mehbooba

People’s Democratic Party president Mehbooba Mufti on Tuesday said that had she “compromised with the principles of the party,” the PDP-BJP alliance would have never fallen apart.

Mufti said she never agreed on BJPs policy of “coming down hard on stone-pelters, Jamaat-e-Islami and not returning bodies of slain militants to their families”.

   

“We formed the government but didn’t compromise on our agenda. We got two BJP ministers dropped from the cabinet after the Kathua incident (rape and murder). Had I compromised with the principles, the government would not have fallen apart,” Mufti said while addressing a party function for felicitating the DDC winners at the PDP headquarters here.

Mufti said BJP always used to criticize PDP calling it “weak”. She said BJPs policy of “coming down hard on stone pelters and Jamaat-e-Islami,” which they wanted her to execute, is being done now.

“They (BJP) said we should not return the bodies of slain militants and slap as many PSAs as possible. That is what is exactly happening today. Bodies of slain militants are not handed over back which is against humanity. Today the government has done a crackdown on Jamaat-e-Islami. This is what the BJP wanted me to do to which I didn’t agree and as a result the government fell apart,” Mufti said.

Mufti said the foundation of PDP envisaged a “solution of the Kashmir issue”.

“PDP agenda is that instead of a war zone, J&K is made a bridge of peace between India and Pakistan which was initiated by AB Vajpayee. Even if BJP does more excesses and we face more hardships, the issue of J&K has to be resolved,” Mufti said.

She said China has occupied a vast area in Ladakh adding that the BJP government always ignored PDP’s point of view of opening important routes such as Kargil-Askardu, Srinagar-Zingzang and (India) becoming a part of CPEC. “J&K was a hub of trade prior to 1947 but all important roads were closed down. They (BJP) have blown up the Constitution into pieces. Abrogation of Article 370 is equal to destroying the Constitution of J&K and the country,” Mufti said.

“It (forming a government with BJP) was equal to caging a Jinn in a bottle. We had put BJP inside that bottle and tied their hands. We had clearly told BJP that although Article 370 (abrogation) was in their agenda but they won’t touch it.”

Mufti said PDP had got PM Modi to declare a one-month ceasefire but “unfortunately there was no response from this side.”

Commenting on the arrest of PDP youth leader Wahid Parra by the National Investigating Agency and him not being allowed to take on-line oath, Mufti said: “He is in custody for more than a month, despite that he got hundreds of youth in the mainstream. Today he’s being accused of being hand in glove with militants. He is the same Waheed whom the Home Minister of India once praised.”

Mufti alleged that DDC winners from PAGD were being “threatened and harassed” which should immediately stop.

“Democracy is not just casting of votes but rights of those who cast votes and those who win elections. DDC candidates are being locked and winners of elections being threatened and harassed. Till when will it continue? Our fight is not with people of the country but the government which destroyed the respect of Jammu and Kashmir on August 5, 2019. Till the time we don’t restore that respect (Article 370) and don’t play a role in resolving Kashmir issue, PDP workers and leaders won’t go away,” Mufti said.

Mufti said after forging the People’s Alliance for Gupkar Declaration, “it is immaterial which party got how many seats”. “Sometimes to achieve a big motive, we have to give small sacrifices. Out of the 60 contested seats in the DDC polls, we have won 30 with God’s grace. We were not even allowed to move out of homes and campaign. But I am thankful to all constituents of PAGD, Farooq sahab, Sajad Lone sahab and Tarigami sahab. They (BJP) had thought that PAGD won’t contest the polls leaving the field open for them but our decision to jointly contest polls and the results in our favour has frustrated the BJP.”

Leaders who were part of the PDP event included Abdul Rehman Veeri, Nizammudin Bhat, Farooq Andrabi, Aijaz Mir, Mustaq Shah, Arif Laigroo, Suhail Bukhari, Tahir Syed, Najmu Saqib, Rouf Bhat, Haji Parvez, Shafi Kundangar and Umar Dar.

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