AIP hits back, says PDP helped BJP to bloom in J&K
Irfan Tramboo
Srinagar, Sept 9: Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) president and former Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti today said that with “other proxies” failing in Kashmir, the Government is now aiding Engineer Rashid’s Awami Ittehad Party (AIP) in an effort to divide votes during the Assembly elections.
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Speaking to reporters in Anantnag, Mufti questioned the source of funding for AIP and asked how the party is receiving support while its chief is in jail. She also accused the administration of protecting AIP and providing other assistance.
The PDP chief claimed that after weakening the PDP, the Govern-ment created “proxies,” which later failed in the Parliamentary elections, leading to the promotion of Engineer Rashid’s AIP.
“After other proxies failed, the administration is now promoting AIP as a proxy, providing them with money and other support,” she said.
She alleged that AIP workers attacked PDP candidate Yawar Banday on Sunday in Shopian’s Balpora, leaving him critically injured, calling the incident as hooliganism. Accusing the administration of failing to act after the attack, Mufti said, “There has been no action from the authorities. If PDP workers had done this, I believe the entire party would be behind bars by now.”
Expressing her bewilderment at the rapid growth of the AIP, the PDP Chief asked: “It took us years to build a party, and even now we don’t have enough resources to field candidates everywhere. Engineer Rashid is in jail, but who is backing his organization, enabling them to field candidates across the region?”.
The former Chief Minister said that the only genuine parties in Kashmir are the National Conference, PDP, and Congress, while AIP and others are “receiving backing to undermine the cause for which the PDP has been fighting for years.” Warning the public not to fall into the “trap” of proxies, Mufti said that a “larger force” is supporting efforts to divide votes in Kashmir, with the PDP being the main target.
She also accused the Government of sponsoring rebel PDP candidates in various constituencies, claiming they are being supported to keep the party sidelined. “They know that if the PDP comes to power, it won’t bow to the dictates from Delhi.”
Meanwhile, the AIP responded to allegations made by the PDP President, accusing her of aiding the “saffron agenda of the BJP to bloom,” which, according to the AIP, culminated in the abrogation of Article 370.
“NC and PDP, the proponents of boycott politics, are unnerved by the entry of a force like AIP, which has the support of the masses and is committed to their cause,” the AIP said. AIP Spokesman in a statement said that in 2014 against the wishes and aspirations of people of Jammu and Kashmir the PDP helped the saffron agenda of BJP to bloom, which culminated in the abrogation of Article 370.
AIP made it firmly clear that PDP rise was possible due to boycott in elections and they are frustrated with the rise of honest and suffering masses in politics and democratic arena of J&K.
Firdous Baba expressed dismay that the PDP leadership including Mufti used to describe BJP leadership as mentors and brothers and now they have this epic level of hypocrisy to term honest, unbiased, pro-people AIP as something that we don’t believe in.
He observed that Engineer Rashid sacrifices inside and outside jail, bear testimony to the sufferings and honesty of AIP.
The AIP called upon Mufti to introspect, rather than resorting to mudslinging.
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