Mehbooba Mufti says centre playing with fire by implementing BJP agenda in JK

SRINAGAR: The PDP president and former chief minister Mehbooba Mufti on Wednesday said the central government was playing with fire by implementing the BJP agenda in Jammu and Kashmir through Governor Satya Pal Malik.

"The centre is playing with fire by implementing BJP's agenda in the State through Governor. It is trying to create division in the State by selectively creating Ladakh as third division of the State and ignoring genuine demand of other regions for the separate division," Mehbooba said while addressing a press conference, here.

She said the Governor's decision of setting admin headquarters of newly created Ladakh division permanently in Leh has pushed peaceful people of Kargil to the wall. On February 9, Governor created a separate division for Ladakh, which was part of Kashmir till now.

Since then, people of Kargil have been agitating to press for rotation of division headquarters between Kargil and Leh for six months each."Like half yearly Durbar move between Jammu and Srinagar, there should be a rotation of divisional headquarters between Kargil and Leh for six months also," Mehbooba said.

She said the situation in Kargil is volatile as people there are on roads. "Kargil is peaceful place and people peace lovers. But the Governor administration and central government is pushing people of the district to the wall".

Mehbooba said they had warned the government against the creation of selective divisions in the State.

"However, unfortunately, the Governor not only selectively created Ladakh division by ignoring Pir Panjal and Chenab Valley but also discriminated by selecting Leh as division headquarters of new division," the PDP chief said. For Kargilites, she said, Leh is farther than Srinagar.

Mehbooba said the decisions taken by Governor are being taken at the behest of the central government. "We had stopped many things during our government. It seems that the agenda we did not allow BJP to implement during our rule, the Governor is implementing it. It is creating division and hatred in the State," she said.

The former CM said the central govt and entire country should accept that J&K is Muslim-majority state and any policy decision should be taken by taking into consideration sentiments of the larger community and minority communities in the State.

"There is a notion that central government is trying to disempower Muslims of J&K. The BJP is dividing people of the state on basis of sect, religion and region," she said adding any move aimed at alienating the majority community will have grave consequences.

Mehbooba also reiterated the demand for the return of mortal remains of Afzal Guru, who was secretly hanged and buried in Delhi's Tihar jail on February 9, 2013, after his conviction for his alleged involvement in 2001 parliament attack case."This is the demand that has been made by PDP since Afzal Guru was hanged and we stand by it," she said.