Srinagar, Apr 17: Asserting that there was “no element of surprise” in former RAW chief AS Dulat’s revelation that National Conference President Dr Farooq Abdullah wanted to be taken on-board for abrogation of Article 370 in Jammu & Kashmir, Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) President Mehbooba Mufti on Thursday accused NC of “betraying people of J&K for New Delhi”.
“Right from 1947, the National Conference betrayed people of J&K for New Delhi and in order to get the votes, it let down New Delhi. This has been an ongoing process and there is nothing new in it”, she said, while addressing party workers at an event to meet the central Kashmir unit.
Mehbooba said Dulat’s confession that Dr Farooq Abdullah had admitted that he should have been consulted, regarding abrogation of Article 370, so that he senior Abdullah could have got this passage in the J & K Assembly, was “nothing new”.
“They (Omar and Dr Farooq) went to New Delhi just before the abrogation of Article 370. I am not surprised at all with regard to their close proximity with the BJP,” Mehbooba added. She said the formation of People’s Alliance for Gupkar Declaration (PAGD) was done to show unity and strength of Muslims in J&K. “But what was done to PAGD is self-explanatory. I even extended support recently (to Omar and Dr Farooq), hoping we could unitedly oppose the Waqf amendment Bill but they (Abdullahs) have not lived up to the occasion,” she added. Stating that her facilitation to bring together leaders from New Delhi to hold dialogue with separatists during 2016 could have benefitted Kashmir, Mehbooba Mufti blamed the separatists for “shutting down the doors”.
“When Hurriyat closed doors in 2016, it put Kashmir in a bad light. We had senior leaders from New Delhi ready to talk to Hurriyat, which failed to gauge the importance of that opportunity,” Mehbooba added. Mebooba said that the situation in Kashmir has improved but urged people “not to repeat the mistakes committed by militants and separatists”.
“I clearly remember when the situation in Kashmir during 2016 was fragile and felt like a storm. I wrote letters to separatists including Yaseen Malik, Shabir Shah and Syed Ali Shah Geelani inviting them for a dialogue with senior leaders from New Delhi. But unfortunately the Hurriyat was riding on fast-paced horses back then,” Mehbooba said.
She said cases of 12,000 youth were withdrawn but “they still indulged in stone pelting”. “There was a cease fire from the militants but youth mistakenly felt that stones and guns were the only solution. This did not yield us anything,” she added. She took a dig at BJP leaders “for a similar high-headed approach as was seen in separatists a few years back, adding that “Hurriyat rode horses of guns and today BJP rides on misuse of acts such as PSA.” “Don’t make Muslims face what Pandits faced here in the 1990s,” she added.
Mehbooba said almost 10 years ago, the presence of Muslims in India exemplified communal harmony. “Even if the same Muslims would perform modest tasks such as fixing cycle tyres but were blessed with a skill. Taunting the same population today is unjustified,” Mehbooba added. Mehbooba said “the opportunity to rule was God send” for Prime Minister Narendra Modi led government so that “injustice meted out to Muslims” in the past can be reversed by ensuring growth of Muslims. However, injustice to Muslims and forcefully taking possession of Muslim properties is a rampant practice being witnessed, she added.
Later speaking to media persons on the sidelines, Mehbooba said the convention was held to convey a message to Muslims from across the country, that even as the present day dispensation in Jammu and Kashmir has not supported you but at the same time people of J&K, especially the Muslim population and the secular public was in their support during these tough times. Commenting on whether the present day situation was conducive, Mehbooba said one can gauge this by restrictions that are being imposed on even protesting peacefully.
“We wanted to take out a rally against the Waqf Bill Amendment and in solidarity with the people of Palestine but we never got the permission to do so. Just imagine if a simple protest poses a threat for the peace of Jammu and Kashmir, then what sort of a country is it,” Mehbooba said.
Commenting on the controversy after former RAW chief AS Dulat’s remarks on National Conference President Dr Farooq Abdullah, Mehbooba said there were no element of surprise in it revelations made by the former spy master, adding that NC was even involved in talks with Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in 2014 to form an unconditional coalition with it. “Dulat sahab is like a family member of Farooq sahab. He (Dulat) has mentioned in his book that Farooq sahab wanted that deliberations be held with him regarding abrogation of Article 370. It has also been mentioned that he was ready to remove Article 370 through the Assembly but he was not taken on-board. This is not the first time. In 2014, the National Conference approached Home Minister Amit Shah offering to form a coalition with it without any conditions,” Mehbooba added.
Mehbooba recollected the Supreme Court’s verdict over Babri Masjid, saying the court had invoked “collective conscience of the nation” while delivering the verdict, adding that this time (in case of Waqf Bill Amendment), it was a question of emotions of crores of Muslims with the Waqf. “Our case is very strong. PDP has approached the court and we are hopeful that keeping in view the same collective conscience, the Supreme Court will revoke the Waqf Bill amendment,” Mehbooba added.