NEW DELHI: Former Jammu and Kashmir chief minister and PDP chief Mehbooba Mufti issued a dire warning on Friday: “If Delhi tries to break the PDP the results will be exceedingly dangerous”, reported news agency ANI.
Her statement – which refers to the BJP – comes amid reports of horse trading and defections, and a split in Mufti’s party, something even the National Conference chief Omar Abdullah hinted at recently + . Speculation is also rife that the BJP is again trying to form a government in the state with rebel PDP MLAs, after having split from the ruling coalition with the PDP in June.
Mufti was reacting to these rumours and she made her statement to ANI in Hindi.
This is what Mufti’s statement translates to: “If, like in 1987, Delhi hijacks the vote of this state’s people, if this kind of break up of loyalties is attempted, the manner in which a Salahuddin (or) a Yasin Malik came to the fore will (happen again)…if those in Delhi try to break up the PDP, let there be no doubt the result of that will be exceedingly dangerous.”
The 1987 reference by Mufti is to the state elections then which were alleged by many to have been rigged. This triggered a massive outrage in the state, which, Mufti is implying led to the flourishing of separatists like Malik, the head of the Jammu and Kashmir Liberation Front, and Syed Salahuddin, the head of the Hizbul Mujahideen.
This is her statement in the original Hindi: “Agar Dilli ne 1987 ki tarah yahan ki awam ke vote pe daaka dala, agar iss kism ki tod fod ki koshish ki,jis tarah ek Salahuddin ek Yasin Malik ne janm liya…agar Dilliwalon ne PDP ko todne ki koshish ki uski nataish bahut zyada khatarnaak hogi,” said Mufti who resigned as chief minister after the BJP, whom the PDP was in coalition with, broke away from it, thus bringing the government down, which then led to governor’s rule.
In fact, Mufti’s National Conference rival Abdullah has been demanding the dissolution of the state legislative assembly to thwart attempts of horse-trading and further erosion of democratic processes and institutions. However, Abdullah disagreed with Mufti that the PDP split will create new militants.
“Let me put this out here for all to remember NOT ONE NEW MILITANT WILL BE CREATED WITH THE BREAK UP OF THE PDP. People will not mourn the demise of a party created in Delhi only to divide the votes of Kashmiris,” he tweeted.
A few days ago, he even tweeted a news report that claimed “a big chunk of PDP MLAs are in touch with the BJP high command.”
“The National Conference has gone on record to demand the dissolution of the assembly. It is the cure for all the rumours about horse trading, splitting of political parties and government formation,” Abdullah told reporters on July 9.
