President Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and former chief minister Mehbooba Mufti on Thursday cautioned that India’s constitutional relation with Jammu and Kashmir will turn into occupation and colonization in case any fiddling is done to state’s special status.
Mehbooba while addressing party worker’s in Sangrama and Sheeri areas of Baramulla of north Kashmir said that by targeting Article 35-A and 370, the BJP is hell-bent on converting the legal and constitutional relationship between Jammu and Kashmir and the Union into a formal occupation .
“The relationship between our state and the country is based on our special constitutional position that legitimizes it. If we remove, what legalizes this relationship, it will turn into an occupation”, Mehbooba said.
She said that soon after the polls of 2014 accorded a fractured mandate to political parties in Jammu and Kashmir, BJP at that time pleaded before Mufti Mohammad Sayeed to form a coalition government. “You accepted our every condition and we took it in writing from you that you will touch article 35-A and 370. We took it in writing from you that talks will be held between Hurriyat and New Delhi and also enough surety that power projects will be returned from the NHPC to Jammu and Kashmir,” said the PDP President in her speech.
Recalling her struggle to give justice to the victims of Rasana case, Mehbooba stated that she went to New Delhi and made it ample clear before the helmsmen that the PDP cannot remain the part of government until the two ministers who have openly supported the rapists aren’t sacked and until the investigation isn’t allowed to take place in a transparent manner.
She added that at present, BJP is trying to turn Jammu and Kashmir into a war zone so that it could torture, harass, ridicule, intimidate kill people here for electoral gains.
Mehbooba, while reacting to highway ban order said that same is reminiscent of martial law and that it will undermine all the good work done to restore peoples’ faith in democratic principles and institutions of fair play. PDP President termed such an order illegal and said same will be sternly opposed by the PDP.
PDP president was flanked by senior party leaders including party patron Muzaffar Hussain Beigh, Dr Mehboob Beg, Javaid Beigh, Safina Beigh and several others.
