The PDP leader has ‘warned’ that splitting her party would result in a rise in terrorism in Kashmir.
Former Chief Minister and People’s Democratic Party (PDP) leader Mehbooba Mufti chose 13 July, observed as Martyrs’ Day in Kashmir, to “warn” the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government at the Centre over their alleged attempts to vertically split her party and said that it will result in “more militancy and rise of militant leaders”. In response, the BJP has said that by making such “bizarre” statements, Mufti has only “exposed her proximity to the terrorists” in the Valley.
Mufti has blamed the Centre for the rebellion in her party as five PDP lawmakers have openly opposed her and there are reports that 14 party MLAs are ready to form a separate group and forge a new alliance with BJP in the next few months.
After a tirade by National Conference (NC) leader and former Chief Minister Omar Abdullah on Twitter, accusing BJP of horse-trading in Kashmir, BJP’s main point man Ram Madhav recently clarified that they have no plans to form government and is happy with Governor’s Rule in J&K.
Mufti told the media on the sidelines of the Martyrs’ Day function that if BJP will encourage rebellion in her party, that will have “serious and dangerous consequences”. She said that it will give rise to new “Salah-ud-Dins and Yaseen Maliks” in Srinagar. She said that it would be another attempt by the Centre to “rob the voting rights of Kashmiri people” and it will “evaporate whatever little faith is left in them in the democratic process”.
Though her threat has very few takers in the Valley, but Abdullah immediately reacted to it. He described her statement as “an act of desperation” to threaten the Central government. Abdullah also blamed her for giving rise to new militancy by her “muscular policy” as the chief minister the state.
Reacting to her statements, Union Minority Affairs Minister Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi said that Mufti, by her statement, is providing oxygen to the terrorists. “Knowingly and unknowingly, she has exposed her proximity to the terrorists,” he said.
Another BJP leader G.V.L. Narasimha Rao described Mufti’s statement as “very bizarre”. Describing her statement as “unfortunate”, former deputy chief minister Kavinder Gupta, a BJP legislator from Jammu, said, “She was ruling the state only a few weeks back, and now she is issuing threats of terror uprising in Kashmir!”