Former Chief Minister and Peoples Democratic Party President Mehbooba Mufti on Friday said the Bhartiya Janta Party has succeeded in shifting the focus of the Kashmir issue from resolution to holding of elections in Jammu and Kashmir
Mufti was responding to queries from reporters that restoration of Statehood has been made the main plank for the Assembly polls by political parties.
” The BJP has succeeded in shifting the focus of the Kashmir issue, which once saw sacrifices of thousands of people, to merely restoring Article 370 and then to restoration of statehood and elections,” Mufti told reporters in Srinagar.
She said that some parties are rejoicing that elections are taking place and talk about restoration of statehood.
“This is like looking for shoes after amputating the feet. Kashmir is a core issue for the PDP for which we worked in the past. We opened the roads, the dialogue was held and in my time (as Chief minister) a delegation came from Delhi. Limiting the issue just to statehood is an injustice to people,” she added.
When asked about comments made by a BJP leader Ram Madhav regarding militants being used by NC and PDP, Mufti said surrendered militants deserve respect and the right to live with dignity.
” They ( surrendered militants) should not be used as a slur. It is wrong. The real surrendered militants, which party are they joining and which party is blackmailing them, Ram Madhav knows it well,” Mufti said.
Mufti also criticizes the National Conference?Congress alliances, stating they are based on seat-sharing rather than principles.
She said there are discrepancies where Congress and NC candidates oppose each other in different constituencies.
“Look at the seat where the Congress President (Tariq Karra) is contesting, what is happening in Tral. Wherever the NC has left the seat for the Congress, an NC leader is contesting as independent and they have the full support of NC cadres,” she said.
