Mehbooba Mufti Slams BJP for Reducing Kashmir Issue to Assembly Polls, Calls It a Betrayal of J&K’s Sacrifices
BJP’s Politics Based on Mandir, Masjid, and Communal Rhetoric, Claims PDP President Mehbooba Mufti
Srinagar, 06-09-2024: People’s Democratic Party (PDP) president Mehbooba Mufti, in a press interaction on Friday, strongly criticized the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), accusing it of diminishing the significance of the Kashmir issue by reducing it to mere electoral politics. According to her, the complexities of the Kashmir conflict, which has claimed thousands of lives, orphaned many, and caused significant economic losses, have now been trivialized. “The BJP has reduced the Kashmir issue to Article 370, then Article 370 to the restoration of statehood, and now statehood to the upcoming Assembly polls,” Mufti remarked during a media address at the PDP office in Srinagar.
Mufti expressed her dismay at political parties that seem content with the mere restoration of statehood, especially in the context of elections. She compared this to “looking for shoes after having amputated the feet,” emphasizing that for the PDP, the Kashmir issue is not just about statehood but about long-standing reconciliation efforts, which they had pursued in the past. She labeled the focus on elections alone as a gross injustice to the people of Jammu and Kashmir.
On the subject of the alliance between the National Conference (NC) and Congress, Mehbooba Mufti dismissed it as a superficial seat-sharing arrangement, designed solely to gain political power. She highlighted incidents where National Conference leaders are running as independents in seats left for Congress, indicating the lack of genuine collaboration between the two parties. She called it an arrangement driven by self-interest, not principles.
Mufti also criticized Congress’ decision to appoint Chaudhary Lal Singh as a star campaigner, alluding to the handling of the 2009 Shopian tragedy during the NC regime and contrasting it with her government’s actions during the Kathua rape and murder case, where two ministers were dropped for their involvement in rallies supporting the accused.
Responding to claims by BJP leaders about the party’s prospects in the polls, Mufti took a jab at the BJP’s electoral strategy, stating that it is heavily reliant on communal rhetoric around topics such as Mandir, Masjid, and love jihad. She noted with satisfaction that people, particularly in Uttar Pradesh, had pushed back against the BJP’s divisive politics, citing the party’s loss in the Ayodhya constituency.
When questioned about BJP leader Ram Madhav’s accusations of NC and PDP utilizing surrendered militants for campaigning, Mufti dismissed the statement, defending the rights of former militants and asserting that their status should not be used as a political slur.
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