By TwoCircles.net Staff Correspondent,
Srinagar/New Delhi: New Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Mufti Mohammad Sayeed’s statement – in which he credited Pakistan, Hurriyat and militants for providing conducive atmosphere for elections in the state – has drawn wide spread criticism from across the parties on Monday.
Expressing utter shock, Hurriyat (G) termed the remarks as “absurd and delusive”. “As far as Hurriyat Conference is concerned, its entire leadership and its hundreds of activists and associates were arrested some 45 days before the election drama and they were either jailed or placed under house arrest. They were denied any chance to reach out to the people and present their stand, so commenting on any role of theirs in the election drama is unrealistic and unfair and it is merely a political gimmick,” Ayaz Akbar, Hurriyat (G) spokesman, said.
Chief Minister Mufti Mohammad Sayeed (file photo) (Courtesy: NDTV)
He said by such a statement, Mufti had actually tried to create confusion and misunderstanding about the pro-freedom people that “they have got their support behind the curtain” and added, the other quarters can themselves explain their position but as far as the Hurriyat (G) is concerned, “it has unambiguous and clear stand regarding the election dramas. We don’t value this process more than a military operation which is held in the presence of 7.5 lakh foreign forces and we claim that if our leadership and activists would have allowed to reach to the people with their stand, they would not have been arrested, the majority of the people would have boycotted the election drama.”
Meanwhile, Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) president Mehbooba Mufti came out in support of her father. “I stand by the remarks made by Mufti Sahib. He is not a person who makes a remark and later denies having made it. If the separatists have not gone from door-to-door telling people to boycott those elections, we should acknowledge that,” she told media persons.
Sayeed’s remarks attracted criticism from former state Chief Minister Omar Abdullah and the leader of the Congress party in the Rajya Sabha, Ghulam Nabi Azad, who demanded an explanation from the Central government over these remarks.
““Pakistan, Hurriyaat & Militants ALLOWED peaceful conduct of elections” says Mufti Syed. I guess we should be grateful for their generosity, (sic)” Omar had tweeted.
Congress members in the Lok Sabha insisted on a statement from the Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
At the same time, the BJP – PDP’s partner in government in the state – distanced itself from the controversy. Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh – while reacting to Sayeed’s statement in the Lok Sabha – asserting that the credit for the smooth conduct of the election goes to the Election Commission of India, the security forces and the people of the state.
Singh said the BJP government and the party dissociates themselves from the remarks made by Sayeed.
Related:
New J&K CM Mufti rages controversy over his statement on conducive atmosphere for election