Excelsior Correspondent
SRINAGAR, Mar 22: National Conference today asked the PDP and the Prime Minister’s office to come clean on what demands were made by Mehbooba Mufti as a pre-requisite for Government formation in the State and what concessions, if any, were granted in the meeting with the Prime Minister.
NC general secretary Ali Mohammad Sagar said that PDP was answerable to the people of the State to justify its imminent surrender after two and a half months of steep posturing and refusal to form the Government with its alliance partner.
“This State was pushed into a phase of political uncertainty and chaos as PDP not only refused to form the Government with its alliance partner but also refused to divulge what demands, if any, it had asked of the Central Government. PDP president Mehbooba Mufti has publicly stated that she won’t be able to form the Government unless and until the Central Government takes some confidence building initiatives in the State. Today, PDP is set to form the Government with the BJP without any visible confidence building measures having been demanded or announced publicly. What was the reason for the two and a half month delay then?”, Mr Sagar said in a statement today.
The NC general secretary said the secrecy that has surrounded the PDP president’s meeting with top BJP leaders was in stark contrast to the unabashed public expression of complete faith in the BJP and the Prime Minister that PDP had demonstrated when it held similar meetings with the BJP leadership last year. “What changed in a year to make PDP and Mehbooba Mufti so reluctant and embarrassed to own up to its political allegiances and leanings that Late Mufti had expressed pride and faith in ? Also, one wonders what concessions, were granted by the BJP to allay PDP’s concerns over the PDP-BJP alliance paving way for Government formation in the State”, the NC leader maintained.
“Has PDP surrendered its demand for the return of the power projects? Have they sold out on their demand for the revocation of AFSPA? PDP had promised that the Central Government would open up additional trade and travel routes across the Line of Control, that they would ensure New Delhi engages with the Hurriyat leadership and that BJP would give up on their long-standing demand to abrogate Article 370?” Sagar added.
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