Retired DGP is accused of helping Abdullahs by activating a huge network of surrendered militants.
Srinagar: National Conference (NC) and Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) have accused each other of being close to separatists while as the newly emerging People’s Conference (PC) has alleged that a retired state DGP is helping the NC by his old networks to get control on vital areas of Kashmir valley by force.
PDP president and former Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti, who has began visiting the families of slain militants, has warned the security forces and the police not to harass the families of militants, else remain prepared for dire consequences. While visiting one such family in Pulwama, she said, “If they (security forces) dare to touch even the cloth of any woman henceforth in any house of the militant, they should be ready for the consequences.”
Despite intelligence warning that she could be attacked in South Kashmir, Mehbooba is visiting the most vulnerable areas of Shopian and Pulwama to express sympathy with the families of militants.
However, reacting to the reports, an NC spokesman here said, “She is desperate to get public support in South Kashmir and trying to fool people by such gimmicks.” Earlier, in series of tweets, NC chief Omar Abdullah said that Mehbooba was trying to get votes by moving from one militant house to another in South Kashmir.
In reply, senior PDP leader Abdul Rehman Veeri said here, “NC has a history of being close to separatists for the sake of power. When they get power, they turn most ruthless against people and the separatists.”
As the Central government and the Election Commission are mulling to hold Assembly elections along with the parliamentary polls in Jammu and Kashmir, most of the mainstream political parties in the state have started gearing up for the elections. While Congress has started concentrating on Ladakh region and in Jammu, especially in Chenab valley, BJP is also trying to regain its support in Jammu region especially in Jammu, Kathua and Samba districts.
PC leader Sajjad Gani Lone is trying hard to become an alternative to NC and PDP in the Valley and also in the Muslim pockets of Jammu region. He is also trying to get a foothold in Muslim-dominated Kargil district of Ladakh region as he has managed to get former PDP MLA from Zanskar into his party fold recently.
Lone told the media that PDP and NC are trying to befool people by being soft separatists. He said that NC has been able to get the support of the former DGP who, according to him, has a huge network of surrendered militants who have become active in the past few months to support the Abdullahs in the forthcoming elections.
Lone too is trying to rope in many former lawmakers and important political leaders from different political parties in the state. Both NC and PDP have accused Lone of being a ‘poster boy’ of BJP with full support of intelligence agencies to get important political figures into his party.
Mehbooba is suffering on all fronts as more and more of his leaders and important party activists are deserting PDP. In Chenab valley, PDP suffered number of jolts including the resignation by senior most leader and former MLC Syed Asghar Ali. He accused PDP of cheating the valley people during their rule with BJP in the state.
NC patriarch Farooq Abdullah is sensing a comeback and has recently contacted all the important political figures in the state to join his party. He has succeeded to get many former ministers and important political figures from both PDP and BJP into NC fold. Aiming at emerging as the single-largest party in the elections, Farooq has promised regional autonomy to all the three regions.